Outdoors
Sylva accepts state grant for trail expansion at Pinnacle Park
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.
Word from the Smokies: The eastern box turtle’s path to state symbol status
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most biodiverse places in the world, so it’s no surprise that many of the plants and animals chosen as symbols of the two states it straddles — North Carolina and Tennessee — are found within its boundary.
Up Moses Creek: Kneel!
Thunderstorms were crossing the mountains in waves one morning in the spring, and while trying to get in my morning hike up the ridge after one passed, I got caught in the next. I knew the danger. Lightning strikes around 300 people a year in the United States, injuring most, killing one out of 10.
Waynesville celebrates purchase of electric lawnmower
The electric lawnmower the Town of Waynesville bought in 2024 is paying off, according to Outdoor Maintenance Supervisor Michael Noland.
At the time, the purchase kicked up some dust, with some residents arguing that the additional expense of buying an electric mower instead of a traditional gas-powered lawn mower was wasted taxpayer money.
Volunteers beautify Franklin’s Women’s History Park
On June 26, the Folk Heritage Association/Women’s History Trail completed the final stages to beautify the town’s Women’s History Park.
In March 2024, FHAMC and the Town of Franklin opened the park.
NC Forest Service tree seedlings on sale
The N.C. Forest Service began accepting orders July 1 for its annual tree seedling sale. With an average annual production of 10 million seedlings, the NCFS Nursery Program produces enough native and genetically improved tree seedlings to plant roughly 18,700 acres of land.
NCDEQ Division of Water Resources urges caution around discolored water
Amid summer’s high temperatures, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Resources reminds the public to avoid contact with discolored water that could indicate the presence of an algal bloom.
Adult kickball league begins in Jackson County
Registration has started for an adult kickball league in Jackson County.
Participants must be at least 14 years old to participate. The team fee is $150, and games are played Wednesday nights in Cullowhee starting Aug. 6.
Run to the hills: Some of our favorite trails in WNC
In this day and age, when the world seems to be one chaotic situation after another, all while the incessant white noise and constant distraction in the digital age peels away our sanity, I find a genuine urge to head for the mountains and hit the trails. So, I do so, happily.
