The standing tradition of starting the New Year off on the trail will continue at N.C. State Parks Monday, Jan. 1, with more than 50 staff-led hikes showcasing the wonders of the Great Trails State. 

Registration is open for the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s fourth annual Winter Hiking Challenge, asking participants to complete 60 miles of trail in the 60 days between Jan. 1 and March 1. 

In a sunny clearing 350 feet above U.S. 23, the choose-your-own-adventure portion of Canton’s Chestnut Mountain Nature Park  begins. 

The recently adopted 2023-2025 state budget includes $2.5 million for trail construction in the Pisgah National Forest surrounding Old Fort. The allocation represents a portion of the $24.9 million total set aside for specific trail and greenway projects statewide.

More than 600 people from across the nation converged in Cherokee last week for the fifth annual Outdoor Economy Conference, the nation’s leading economic development conference focused on outdoor recreation. 

With 54 volunteers turning out for the Carolina Mountain Club’s Quarterly Crew Day at Sam Knob last month, the group was able to check a lot of items off its to do list.

Maintenance crews will implement temporary, single-lane closures along the northbound and southbound Spur through Aug. 17 and again Aug. 21-24.

A new trail is open in the Old Fort area, an important milestone in an ongoing 42-mile trail expansion project there.

Through Aug. 31, three Storybook Trail of the Smokies displays featuring pages in English and Spanish will be open in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearby Gatlinburg.

Volunteers are needed to help trail crews in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park rehabilitate the Ramsey Cascades and Little Cataloochee trails, with work sessions 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays through September.