When I told Becky on New Year’s Day that this was going to be my last trail, she laughed, “You said that three trails back.” She was thinking of the Spring Creek, Sourwood, Open Woods, Deer Point and other trails I’ve built over the years in the woods around our house. Becky likes walking the trails as much as I do.

The Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department announced a Jan. 17 hike on the Panthertown Loop trail.

Trail is about 4.5 miles, features a 1,000-foot elevation gain and is appropriate for beginners and moderate hikers alike. 

The U.S. Forest Service reopened the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Trail and all other facilities in Graham County will reopen on Oct. 11 

Local author Anne Jobe and editor Christine Reed will host a special reading at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva. 

Author Anne Jobe will be hosting a special reading at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 15, at the Macon County Public Library in Franklin. 

The Nantahala Ranger District is seeking public input to implement trail rehabilitation and repairs along with other work within the Panthertown Valley.

The Benton MacKaye Trail Association will remove blown-down trees along the Tennessee/North Carolina line during a maintenance trip starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, from the Coker Creek Welcome Center in Tennessee. 

Friends of Panthertown will host a trail workday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, meeting at Salt Rock Gap Trailhead.

A new hiking trail is now open in Old Fort, offering an opportunity for people with disabilities to get outside. 

Work has started on a new 3-mile trail near Old Fort.