The region of central and southern Appalachia has more national land of any other region east of the Rockies. The parks and forests of Appalachia bring tourism, and tourism brings tourist dollars which help to boost the economies of our small mountain communities. With 2,193 hiking and biking trails—including 330 miles of the Appalachian Trail—in just the Jefferson and George Washington national forests alone, even the most rabid eco-tourist should have plenty do to for a while.
Blair Mountain: Preserving Our History, Our Integrity “And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past’ ran the Party slogan,…
Here are but six of the hundreds of named and unnamed waterfalls that tumble and twist through our Appalachian mountains. We hope you enjoy! See the state maps in this issue for location indicators. Virginia — Crabtree Falls By Joe…
A ruggedly beautiful landscape makes the Mountain State a huge draw for outdoor enthusiasts, but environmentally destructive mining practices pose a growing threat to attracting eco-tourism. Mountaintop Removal Threatens Outdoor Mecca By Jesse Wood Once a booming coal town in…
By Julie Johnson The beauty and mystique of Appalachia’s wild orchids have seduced many a woodland explorer. Like the flowers’ curious pollinating insects, these brilliant and prolific plants keep us coming back for more. Orchids are a fascinating study in…
Bunkbeds Never Looked So Good By Julie Johnson Hosteleers, your green dream is about to arrive. This June, The Crash Pad, the country’s first LEED certified hostel, will open in Chattanooga, Tenn. Forget the usual rickety bunk beds with questionable…
“The Last Mountain” Makes its First Appearance Nationwide By Rachael Goss Film director Bill Haney recognized the highly visual and personal nature of mountaintop removal on communities and the environment. This summer Appalachian Voices will hit the road with his…
Something extraordinary is happening this week in southern West Virginia. For the first time in years, the United Mineworkers of America (UMWA), the largest union representing coal miners, has found common cause with environmental and community advocates who are seeking…
We love our mountains. We love the beautiful mixed mesophytic forest that blankets their surface, the pristine headwaters that pull and tumble throughout them, and the majestic and diverse creatures that inhabit these hills and hollows. We love our mountains’…
400 hundred years of U.S. history and an eternity of natural wonders run from the Appalachian Mountain Ridges to the Shenandoah Valley and on to a coast that is one of the south’s finest. Music Tourism Gives Floyd Economy a…
