The National Park Service urge visitors to plan ahead, prepare for changing conditions and know their personal limits while recreating in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Park rangers have been responding to an increased number of emergencies and are reminding visitors that rescue is not a certainty.  

Beginning May 4, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will close Bullhead Trail from Monday through Thursday each week, excluding federal holidays, through Nov. 19. During this time, the park will continue the rehabilitation of the Bullhead Trail in partnership with Friends of the Smokies.  

Hikers are welcome to hike Bullhead Trail Friday through Sunday and on federal holidays. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park will begin its 2026 season of adaptive programming this spring with ranger-led experiences designed for visitors with limited mobility and their families.  

This year’s lineup includes hiking, biking, fly fishing and one overnight backcountry camping trip:   

Lake Junaluska and Wilderness Trail, a long-time adventure and backpacking ministry, have joined forces to launch a new satellite program at Lake Junaluska June 6–11.

Based in Troutdale, Virginia, with an office at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, Wilderness Trail has a 39-year history of leading backpacking trips for middle school and high school students in the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Virginia.

­The Haywood County Board of Commissioners is seeking applicants to fill one bicycling community member position on the Greenway Advisory Council. The Greenway Advisory Council plans, guides, coordinates and promotes effective greenway projects and oppor-tunities in Haywood County. The member will be appointed to three-year term. 

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) will host its sixth-annual Winter Hiking Challenge in the first two months of 2026, which aims to inspire people to experience outdoor recreation during the winter months.

The 2026 SAHC Winter Hiking Challenge sets a goal of 60 miles in 60 days, from Jan. 1 to March 1, to be completed in your own time and at your own speed.

Backcountry rangers Lydia Williams and Jordan Gibeault have almost reached their destination, Kephart Prong Shelter, when they purposefully veer off trail. They descend a slight hill, emerge into a small creekside clearing, and immediately turn their attention to a rocky outcrop protruding from the hillside. It’s ringed with stones and filled with ash. “This is a great example of an illegal fire ring,” Williams said. “Every time we come here, we’re dealing with it again and again.” 

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is celebrating 100 years and revamping its community supporters program.

The Macon County Public Library has been an A.T. supporter since 2014, and recently renewed their status.

Thanksgiving morning. I awoke to the sounds of my upstairs neighbor scurrying about, most likely getting things together for whatever he has planned for Turkey Day. Nearby Russ Avenue is oddly quiet. Nobody is heading to work. The incessant construction has ceased for the day, too. 

While our habits and hobbies outdoors may vary, it’s a point of pride for most in Western North Carolina that nature is never far out of reach. 

Cullowhee and Sylva host a wealth of recreation opportunities suited for enthusiasts and beginners alike and occupy some of the most biologically diverse wilderness in the United States.