Jackson County is now home to two certified forest therapy trails endorsed by the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy. The most recent certified trail is the Jackson County Greenway. The first trail certified was the popular Pinnacle Park lower loop section. 

Sylva’s Pinnacle Park will undergo substantial upgrades after the town formally accepted a $340,000 grant from the state’s Parks and Recreation Trust Fund during its Oct. 23 meeting, setting in motion a series of improvements that will reshape one of Western North Carolina’s most popular hiking destinations. 

Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina announced the completion and opening of an accessible walking trail through the meadow of Oak Hill Community Park & Forest, marking the latest milestone in the park’s Sensory Trail Experience Program. 

The U.S. Forest Service has made major progress repairing the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests a year after Hurricane Helene’s devastation. Across the Southeast, forests suffered from flooding, landslides, and wind damage that closed roads, trails, and campsites critical to the region’s outdoor economy. 

Tara Pruett’s running journey emerged from a rough childhood. The art of running, the sport itself — with its life lessons and camaraderie within its vast community of athletes — became a beacon of safe harbor and personal resolve for Pruett. 

The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources has awarded more than $11 million authorized by the General Assembly in grants to communities and nonprofits in Western North Carolina from Great Trails State Program funding. 

A popular hiking destination in Jackson County will soon see expanded access and new trail construction, thanks state funding awarded to the Town of Sylva. 

At its July 10 meeting, the Sylva Board of Commissioners approved a resolution authorizing town staff to accept a $92,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Recreational Trails Program.

This summer and fall, visitors can enjoy family-friendly programs in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, starting June 7. Visitors are invited to take a hike with a ranger, learn about mountain life, meet some of the creatures that call the Smokies’ home, trek into the dark and much more.  

The USDA Forest Service announced that several trails and recreation sites damaged by Hurricane Helene have reopened across the Appalachian Ranger District on the Pisgah National Forest. With the support of partners and volunteers, the Forest Service has successfully cleared 227 miles of trails on the Appalachian Ranger District since the storm struck last year, accounting for 70 percent of the district’s trails.

Visitors should plan for single lane closures on Cosby Entrance Road through June. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park has reopened the Cosby Area following the construction of a new culvert under Cosby Entrance Road.