DuPont considers entry fees
Visitors to DuPont State Recreation Forest could have to pay an entrance fee in the future following Gov. Roy Cooper’s…
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Trees for sale
Tree seedlings are now available from the N.C. Forest Service, with nearly 50 species of conifers, hardwoods and native understory…
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Garden offers music-filled summer evenings
The popular ArborEvenings after-hours series at the N.C. Arboretum will return this year with a toy-filled twist.
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America, mile by mile: Cross-country trip reveals country’s beauty, diversity
Back when the trip was a new idea, I don’t think either of us took it seriously. Three weeks on…
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LEGOs in the garden
The arrival of the N.C. Arboretum’s newest exhibit was delayed due to COVID-19, but Nature Connects: Art with LEGO Bricks…
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Butterfly murals installed in Cullowhee garden
Four larger-than-life butterflies now greet visitors as they enter the Cullowhee Community Garden, each representing a species that helps pollinate…
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Planning effort seeks to form regional multi-use trail network
A plan that would create a 150-mile-plus trail network through Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties is now out…
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Farmers market starting in Cashiers
Locally Grown on the Green farmers market offers local produce 3 to 6 p.m. each Wednesday during the growing season…
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New Smokies podcast launches
A new podcast series from the Great Smoky Mountains Association brings the science, stories and sounds of the Great Smoky…
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Connecting farmers with food-insecure
A new initiative from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project is facilitating direct connections between farmers and food relief efforts.
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Final decision reached on Buck Project
The U.S. Forest Service has signed the final decision notice for the Buck Project, which will encompass more than 32…
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N.C. climate plan released
After 11 months of stakeholder engagement and collaborative work, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has submitted the N.C. Climate…
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Senate votes to fund conservation needs
Outdoors groups are hailing a recent vote by the U.S. Senate to pass legislation supporting funding for public lands as…
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Hiker fatality in the Smokies
A hiker on the Abrams Falls Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park died following a cardiac event Monday,…
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Grandfather Mountain mourns loss of Gerry the black bear
On Saturday, June 20, Grandfather Mountain bid farewell to Gerry the black bear. Gerry was humanely euthanized following a long history of…
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Cades Cove now vehicle-free all day on Wednesdays
Cades Cove Loop Road will now be vehicle-free on Wednesdays through Sept. 30 as part of a pilot study to…
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Funding available for WNC farms
Grants and loans to help small and mid-scale farmers in Western North Carolina navigate the COVID-19 crisis are now available…
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Waynesville opening pool, public restrooms
Most public restrooms in Waynesville reopened on Friday, May 22, and the pool, water park and locker rooms at the…
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Park reopens campgrounds, visitor centers
Some campgrounds, visitor centers and previously closed roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are reopening.
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Land trust closes on 448 acres for outdoor rec in Canton
After a year of planning, the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has closed on a 448-acre purchase in Haywood County that…
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Cove Creek Road to Cataloochee reopens
A contractor for the N.C. Department of Transportation has opened Cove Creek Road in Haywood County to traffic after completing…
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Parkway reopens facilities
Several previously closed facilities along the Blue Ridge Parkway reopened June 13.
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Parkway visitors generated $1.1 billion in 2019, report finds
A new report from the National Park Service shows that the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 14.9 million 2019 visitors spent $1.1…
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Grant bolsters Burke County park project
A $464,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Forest Program will support the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina’s ongoing…
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Conservation purchase complete in McDowell
A 38-acre conservation purchase on the North Fork Catawba River in McDowell County will add to the body of public…
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Making history: In the summer of ’67, former college president was Smokies’ first black naturalist
The year that Joe Lee turned 21, the Brown vs. Board of Education decision turned 13, the Civil Rights Act…
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Wildlife Commission hires new director
Major Cameron Ingram has been selected as the new executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and will transition…
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Report pine snake sightings
Pine snake sightings are wanted as part of an effort to help biologists learn more about the reptiles’ distribution in…
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Watch for giant hornets
The Asian giant hornet has yet to be detected in North Carolina, but the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer…
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National forest lifts fire restrictions, some recreation closures
The Pisgah National Forest has begun to reopen many trails and roads and partially lift restrictions for dispersed camping, and…
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Trout waters to open
Delayed Harvest trout waters will open on June 6 in North Carolina, affecting 34 streams and two lakes.
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Second Lady Pence visits the Smokies: Applauds reopening, mental health benefits of outdoor recreation
Visiting Clingmans Dome is like being in the clouds, Second Lady Karen Pence said when she visited the site Tuesday,…
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Nantahala announces new chief ranger
A new district ranger has been selected for the Nantahala Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest.
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New management at Parkway trading post
A nonprofit based at the Cradle of Forestry in America is the new manager for the Northwest Trading Post located…
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NOC now open
The Nantahala Outdoor Center has reopened, with most river and land-based trips now available.
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Park enters second phase of reopening
The opening of Clingmans Dome Road on Tuesday, May 19, was followed by an additional wave of reopenings on Saturday,…
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A.T. trailheads to open in four states
Appalachian Trail trailheads and access points on U.S. Forest Service lands in the Southeast will reopen on Friday, May 22.
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Trump names FSA director for N.C.
Eddie Woodhouse has been named the new executive director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in North…
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Fire (ants) on the mountain: Research shows invasives species can survive cold winters
Since its arrival to the United States in the early 1930s, the fire ant has been making a slow but…
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Soak in a field full of peonies
The 2020 Festival of Peonies in Bloom is underway through the end of the month, allowing visitors to witness a…
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Conservation easement protects resources in Macon
A recently conserved piece of land in Macon County includes a federally significant marsh, a scenic view and a portion…
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No parking along Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest Road
Visitors to the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest should be aware that parking or leaving a vehicle along the Joyce Kilmer…
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The Naturalist's Corner: Eeekk! Not a mouse
No one knows what WNC will look like post COVID-19, but these mountains have seen much over their millions of…
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Pisgah lifts some recreation closures
The Pisgah National Forest has begun to reopen many trails and roads and partially lift restrictions for dispersed camping.
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Parkway begins reopening
The Blue Ridge Parkway has reopened its southernmost 14 miles and plans to reopen additional gates this weekend once seasonal…
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Fishing license scam reported
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is issuing a warning about a scam in which private online websites falsely claim to…
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Help the N.C. Arboretum
The public has stepped up to contribute nearly $50,000 to the N.C. Arboretum’s Staff Support Fund, allowing staff to remain…
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National forests lift fire restrictions
Forestwide fire restrictions have been lifted in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests, with campfires now allowed as of Wednesday,…
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Arboretum to begin reopening
Trails at the 434-acre N.C. Arboretum in Asheville will reopen on Saturday, May 9, as the campus begins Phase 1…
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Phase reopening starts in the Smokies
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened most trails and roads when it entered its first phase of reopening last…
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