Outdoors
Enjoy WNC’s hiking trails
Western North Carolina is a hiker’s paradise.
With so much land protected by national and state forests and parks, those who live in the Western North Carolina area have endless hiking opportunities.
NC Arboretum names new director
University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans this week appointed Drake Fowler as the new executive director of The North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville.
New Building Outdoor Communities cohort named
Six new recipients in Western North Carolina have been awarded grants to participate in the MADE X MTNS Partnership’s Building Outdoor Communities Program.
Jackson County hosts BirdFest
Balsam Mountain Trust announced its seventh-annual Bird Festival celebrating World Migratory Bird Day.
Bee swarms should not be bothered
The Henderson County Beekeepers association is reminding people that if they see a bee swarm, they shouldn’t disturb it.
Ramsey Cascades Trail closes on weekdays
The National Park Service (NPS) will close Ramsey Cascades Trail on weekdays while trail crews finish the full-scale rehabilitation work started in 2022.
‘Square-foot gardening’ class is April 30
The Haywood County Extension Office is presenting a free class on “square-foot gardening,” a simple, versatile system that takes up less space and requires less work and water to cultivate.
Lake J hosts annual plant sale
Lake Junaluska’s yearly plant sale is May 4.
For sale will be a few thousand plants, including an assortment of annuals, perennials, herbs and vegetables, and several varieties of native plants from the Corneille Bryan Native Garden, said Melissa Tinsley, Lake Junaluska director of grounds.
GSMNP to improve Gatlinburg entrance
Great Smoky Mountains National Park received approximately $11 million in funding from the Great American Outdoors Act Legacy Restoration Fund to rehabilitate a two-mile section of Newfound Gap Road near Gatlinburg. The rehabilitation project will include single-lane closures.