HIDDEN TREASURES #2

Welcome to part two in our exploration of the most amazing places in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains — this time exploring some of our most fabulous Public Lands.

Fort Mountain

Photo by Raymond Truelove

Driving up from the flatlands toward the southern end of the Appalachian Mountain chain in the northwestern corner of Georgia, you can catch occasional glimpses of this imposing mountain looming like a solitary guard in the distance. Up close, it’s even more majestic. Named Fort Mountain because of a mysterious, 800-foot-long fortified wall thought to have been built by early Native Americans, the peak also lies within the rugged and beautiful Chattahoochee National Forest. A tidy state park on the southern side of the mountain provides a range of facilities from backcountry camping to cabins with A/C, and offers hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails and a 17-acre lake. The quaint town of Chatsworth lies just to the west of the mountain, and the nearby 750,000-acre Chattahoochee forest and 29,000-acre Cohutta Wilderness — straddling the Georgia / Tennessee line — means you’ll have plenty to do for a while. — JG

Neighbors Help Neighbors

A photo essay that celebrates the volunteer spirit of the grassroots group Hurricane Helene WNC and speaks to the resourcefulness, collaboration and hard work embodied by thousands and thousands of volunteers, first responders and aid workers across the region after Hurricane Helene.

The Resonator, a century-old modified pump organ, is the centerpiece of one of the House of Art’s permanent exhibits, surrounded by creepy computer junk and red and blue and green neon lights

Halloween Approaches, and Night School Is in Session

The House of Art in Bluefield, West Virginia, looks like a haunted tower, making it the perfect location for its sixth annual haunt event: Night School. The Night School will be open every Friday and Saturday night through Oct. 31.

Rows of vendors under pop-up tents are filling a grassy area at the annual Affirming Sumner Pride celebration in Middle Tennessee. Pride flags are hanging on some booths

‘The Most Perfect Act of Love’

Hundreds of people attended the second annual Affirming Sumner Pride celebration on a 24-acre farm dubbed “Fruity Farm” in Bethpage, Sumner County, Tennessee.

An Indiana bat in a white-gloved hand with a black background

Signs of Life: Endangered Bats Found in Nantahala for First Time in More Than a Decade

In the Nantahala National Forest, a team of biologists spotted Indiana bats, an endangered species that hasn’t been seen in North Carolina for the last 11 years.

Dan Buchanan stands in front of Double Island Volunteer Fire Department's fire engine

‘First Line of Defense’

During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, rural fire departments and other first responder hubs played critical roles in keeping their communities safe, even without power and cut off from outside support for days or weeks after the storm. Two years later, plenty of work remains to ensure these hubs have the resources they need to operate day to day and be ready when emergencies or natural disasters strike.

Alice and Gary Stevens stand on their new 40-foot bridge with their dog in Watauga County, N.C.

The Rocky Road — and Bridge — to Recovery

Hurricane Helene is estimated to have damaged nearly 7,000 private roads and bridges in Western North Carolina. Two years later, many restoration projects are complete, but the journey hasn’t been easy — and isn’t over for others.

HIDDEN TREASURES #2 – Georgia

Fort Mountain