Help maintain the Benton MacKaye Trail

The Benton MacKaye Trail Association will remove blown-down trees along the Tennessee/North Carolina line during a maintenance trip starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, from the Coker Creek Welcome Center in Tennessee. 

Highlands Greenway celebrates productive 2023

During 2023, volunteers with the Highlands Plateau Greenway contributed 640 hours to create new trails and maintain the existing ones that connect the Highlands community, participating in more than 23 workdays over the past year. 

Ringing out the Year of the Trail: A highlight reel of trail news in 2023

Declared to be the Year of the Trail more than a year before it even began, 2023 had a lot to live up to.

Hike into the 2024

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. 

The Winter Hiking Challenge

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. 

To the top: Trail network matures at Canton's Chestnut Mountain

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

State budget funds 25 miles of new trail in Old Fort

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.

Ripple effects and recreation: Outdoor Economy Conference tackles range of complex issues

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. 

Workday gives nearly 400 hours of love to Sam Knob

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.

Update on GSMNP trail, road closures

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

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