Camping in the last two months reached historic highs in Tennessee State Parks.
The parks saw 62,124 nights camping in October, a one-month record for camping stays in the system, topping the mark of 57,472 nights set in June 2020. November saw over 36,000 camping nights sold, the highest number for November ever and exceeding November 2019 by 15,000 nights.
Four of the top 10 camping months...
Articles and information on hiking, outdoor adventures and the Great Smoky Mountains. For hiking trail information in the Smokies, please visit HikingintheSmokys.com
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One of the most famous vistas on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), McAfee Knob, has been given additional protection with the acquisition of three tracts of land near Roanoke.
This effort, led by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), The Conservation Fund and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC), will add almost 600 acres of permanently protected land to the area. These acquisitions will help...
Christmas is just over a week away! The good news is that you still have time to purchase stocking stuffers for all your favorite hikers. If you need a gift idea, both the paperback and E-book versions of my book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking, are available on Amazon. If you order now you'll still have plenty of time to have shipped to your home.
Ramble On: A History of Hiking is the first...
Public Input Sought for Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail Master Plan
Monday, December 14, 2020
The N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation launched a new web page to seek public input as staff develop the Hickory Nut Gorge State Trail master plan. The master plan is a long-term strategy for the park that details how and where access will be provided and prioritizes projects and investments. Master plan development involves identifying recreation and conservation needs for the trail and collecting...
The Trump Administration announced this past week that all National Park Service sites will have six entrance fee-free days in 2021. The fee-free days are part of the Administration’s unprecedented commitment to increase access, promote recreational opportunities, improve visitor facilities and conserve natural and historical treasures in national parks for the benefit and enjoyment of the American...
With over 400 miles of trails, Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area is seeking volunteers to assist in keeping them in great shape. If you enjoy the outdoors, and spending time in the park, join the park’s Trail Keepers program today.
The Trail Keeper program is for people who love the park’s trails and want to help take care of them. The goal of the program is to provide a presence...
The following is a short excerpt from my book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking:
For women, hiking attire during the Victorian Era was an extremely complicated affair. The subject was frequently discussed and debated throughout the pages of Appalachia during the first decade of the Appalachian Mountain Club. The December 1887 issue of Appalachia ran a lengthy article by Mrs. L. D. Pychowska on the...
This was posted on the North Carolina state parks website this past week:
All North Carolina state parks are closed on Christmas Day, December 25. Parks are open every other day of the holiday season, including New Year's Day.
Parks are not hosting any guided First Day Hikes on January 1. We encourage park visitors to conduct their own First Day Hikes with members of their household. Please note...
Section of Elkmont Road to be Temporarily Closed for Road Repair
Saturday, December 5, 2020
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced that a section of Elkmont Road will be temporarily closed to motorists for bridge repairs beginning Monday, December 7 through Friday, December 18. The closure will be in place Monday at 7:00 a.m. through Friday at noon each week. The area will be fully open to all access on the weekends.
The road closure begins at the Elkmont Campground...
The following timeline was adapted from my book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking:
Over the last several decades the sport of hiking has become one of the most popular outdoor activities in the world. According to the latest National Survey on Recreation and the Environment, 33.9% of all Americans above the age of 15 participated in hiking during the period between 2005 and 2009. This trend, however,...
U.S. Forest Service project proposes additional access to Graveyard Fields trail system from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Monday, November 30, 2020
The National Park Service (NPS) announced today it is partnering with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on a project that includes a proposal for additional access to the Graveyard Fields trail system from John Rock Overlook at Milepost 419.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Currently access to Graveyard Fields is from a single parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway which often sees overflow parking stretching...
At 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, November 24, Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a Chimney Tops overlook along Newfound Gap Road after receiving a report that a man fell approximately 50 feet below the embankment. Wesley Brandon Stedham, age 48, of Warrior, AL fell after stepping down a steep slope below the overlook for a photograph. Stedham suffered severe head trauma and passed away...
Christmas is only a few weeks away. So now is a great time to begin thinking about stocking stuffers for all your favorite hikers. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know that both the paperback and E-book versions of my book, Ramble On: A History of Hiking, are available on Amazon.
Ramble On: A History of Hiking is the first broad historical overview of hiking in one volume. Among the variety...
Shenandoah National Park continues to experience an increase in emergency calls, prompting park officials to remind visitors of the need to plan their hiking trips and be prepared. This is especially important during the upcoming colder months when weather is more unpredictable and can be dangerous at higher elevations. Last weekend National Park Service rangers responded to several accidents with...
The U.S. Forest Service plans to conduct a 200-acre prescribed burn on the Pisgah Ranger District this week.
The burn will take place at Sam Knob. The goal of the burn is to maintain and improve the open area of the balds and improve wildlife habitat.
For the safety of firefighters and forest visitors there will be a few temporary closures within the burn area. These temporary closures include...
The Great Smoky Mountains reported that an earthquake took place in the park yesterday. Here's the post from their Facebook page:
Park officials confirmed the detection by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) of a magnitude 2.2 earthquake approximately 1 mile east of Mt. Le Conte and ½ mile south of the Brushy Mountain Trail and Porters Creek Trail area today at 9:08 a.m.
LeConte Lodge...
Effectively immediately, Station Camp Campground is open year-round for campers with or without horses. Amenities available are potable water and 30-amp electric hook-ups at each campsite, heated restrooms, hot water showers, dump station and free Wi-Fi.
Other campgrounds open year-round are Bandy Creek Campground (Loops B and C) and Alum Ford Campground.
For more information about all park campgrounds,...
Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian-Piedmont-Coastal Zone fire management staff plan to burn approximately 689 acres of fields in Cades Cove. Weather permitting, burn operations will occur 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟱.
These seasonal controlled burns help perpetuate native herbaceous species that provide...
The Daniel Boone National Forest has begun a public planning process that will help shape the future of the Red River Gorge. Changes that have occurred in the area since the last public planning process in 2008 have highlighted the need for renewed attention to management of the Gorge.
Many of these challenges were brought into sharp relief by the Covid-19 pandemic. Visitation to the Red River Gorge...
TetonHikingTrails.com Adds 12 Hikes From Yellowstone National Park
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
As mentioned a few weeks ago, my wife and I visited both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park last month. In addition to the two hikes from Grand Teton we added to our website, TetonHikingTrails.com, we have also added 12 new hikes from Yellowstone National Park (which reside on our Other Wyoming Hikes directory). They are as follows:
* North Rim Trail
* Avalanche...
As mentioned a few weeks ago, my wife and I visited Grand Teton National Park last month. As a result of that trip we were able to add two new hikes to our website, TetonHikingTrails.com. These two highly scenic hikes are:
Surprise Lake:
Schwabacher Landing Trail:
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble...
Smokies Seeks Public Input to Improve Visitor Experiences and Congestion
Wednesday, October 14, 2020
During the week of October 19, Great Smoky Mountains National Park invites the public to provide input on how the park can improve visitor experiences and alleviate congestion at some of its busiest destinations. The public can participate through virtual interactive workshops, online forms, or direct mail.
“We look forward to working hand-in-hand with our local communities and visitors from across...
A few weeks ago I saw a post on Twitter about an "air ambulance jet suit" being tested in the Lake District of northern England. If this invention is proven to be viable, it could mean that a paramedic could "fly" to an injured hiker or climber in difficult terrain (think Grand Canyon) in a matter of minutes, rather than taking hours or more on foot. If this is the case, it could mean the difference between life and death for some accident victims.
Here's a clip from CBS News showing footage from the test:
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
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Here's a clip from CBS News showing footage from the test:
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
Ramble On: A History of Hiking
Exploring Glacier National Park
Exploring Grand Teton National Park
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