Colorado's Ugly New "Hazmat" Tourism Logo
This " brand new logo " looks like a hazardous-materials placard. "This truck is carrying carbon monoxide." Or maybe i...
août 2013
What Smell?
I have a friend who was looking for a place to live in the Portland-Vancouver sphere of influence, and found himself in the town of Camas,...
Where the Wild Trees Are
Based on a NASA map found here . The map above shows the total amount of woody biomass in the [continental] USA. It's displayed at a 3...
The Annual Hawk Migration / Flock to the Rock
The first cold front of the year usually passes through the Smoky Mountains during the early-to-mid September time period. As the weather p...
Temporary Closure of Springhouse Branch Trail
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the temporary closure of Springhouse Branch Trail to all horse use due to unsafe tra...
Mammoths, Mushrooms, and Extinction
Coprophilic fungus offers a clue to the extinction of North American mammoths , seeming to point away from the "Pleistocene overkill...
“Sound Walk” Offered by Park Artist in Residence
Great Smoky Mountain National Park Artist in Residence, Dominique Ferraton, will be offering a guided sound walk on Wednesday, August 28 fro...
Opening of Temporary Bypass at Milepost 374 on Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway re-opened a closed section of the historic motor road today (August 26, 2013), from Milepost 376 at Ox Creek Road in ...
How Rainy has it really been in the Smokies this year?
So how much rain has the Smokies received this year? It seems like an awful lot, or is it just our collective imagination? To answer that qu...
Tennessee State Parks Announce Passport Challenge
Tennessee State Parks, through a partnership with the ParksByNature Network, have announced a new GeoChallenge for the Pocket Ranger®, the f...
Cherokee National Forest Announces Closures Due to Bear Activity
U.S. Forest Service officials at the Cherokee National Forest have announced that national forest lands within the corridor between the area...
Fall Day Hiking Basics
Planning an escape to cooler temperatures and fall colors on a day-hike? Join the REI staff in Asheville next month to learn about the basic...
Alum Cave Parking Lot to be Closed for Three Weeks
Great Smoky Mountain visitors planning to hike up to Alum Cave or Mt. LeConte , may want to note that the upper Alum Cave parking lot wil...
Moonlight Kayaking thru the Tennessee River Gorge
Looking for a unique outdoor adventure? How about moonlight kayaking trip through the Tennessee River Gorge? On Thursday, September 19th, ...
Blow Stew in the Petroglyph Bowl
¶ An article on the possibly oldest petroglyphs in North America associates them chronologically with a set of human remains known as Spiri...
The Fox and the Sunflower Seeds
Go ahead, make a move. It's your move . . . you talkin' to me? Mid-afternoon and there is a ruckus from the dogs, who are penned o...
A Day at the Beach, in Garish Color
The Happy Flotsam of Little Oak Bay It wasn't a rock lobster; it was a rock. A rock with an infinity symbol, that is.
Grasshopper
Found this awesome grasshopper hanging out on my car window this morning. How cool that it looks like it’s wearing red-striped socks!
Mountain Homes for Active Vacationers
The following is a guest blog by Amber Ranches: A vacation retreat in the Great Smoky Mountains is a real convenience for hikers and other o...
Smokies Telethon Raises Over $200,000
Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park raised $201,423 last night through its 19th annual “Friends Across the Mountains” telethon th...
Gov. Haslam Awards Over $1.6 Million in Parks and Recreation Grants
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Environment and Conservation Commissioner Bob Martineau announced yesterday that they have awarded $1,694,000...
Another Ski Trooper Conservationist Leaves His Legacy Behid
Stuart Phelps Dodge, another of the World War II ski troopers from the 10th Mountain Division , has passed on, l eaving a huge conservation ...
Programming Note: Friends Across the Mountains Telethon Tonight
Tonight the Friends of the Smokies will be hosting the 19th Annual Friends Across the Mountains Telethon to benefit Great Smoky Mountains Na...
Monsoon on the Conejos (2): Platoro y Yo
Platoro, Colorado. The bands of light at right are windshield reflections. With the Conejos River r unning high and turbid , I decided to ...
Roadwork on the Gatlinburg Bypass
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have announced upcoming roadwork plans on the Gatlinburg Bypass involving overnight closures a...
Looking for the signs of Palaeontology
Over at the Highly Allochthonous blog , Chris draws us to some signs of experimentation with palaeontology in our children. A very interesti...
Monsoon on the Conejos (1)
We brought a screen for drying mushrooms. The campground host's name tag said "Noah." That should have been a hint.* M. and ...
Smokies Announces New Deputy Superintendent
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson announced that Patricia M. Wissinger has been selected as the next Deputy ...
Participation in Outdoor Activities Hits Six-Year High
Participation in outdoor recreation reached a six-year high in 2012 with 142 million Americans , ages six and older, enjoying the outdoors....
My Sporadic Ritual of Cellphonicide
My flip-phone may be gone, but this shirt is forever. It would be easy to blame the occasional destruction of cellphones on my work. If I ...
The So-Called Romance of Steam
Cumbres & Toltec train on Cumbres Pass. The white cloud is steam from the whistle. I like trains and take Amtrak rather than an airpla...
Sections of Greenbrier Road to be Closed for 10 Days
Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials will close sections of Greenbrier Road to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for road repairs from...
The National Park Service Turns 97 on August 25th
On Sunday, August 25th, the National Park Service turns 97 years old. To help celebrate, admission to all national parks will be free so tha...
