Hiking the Highlands
A Waterfall and a View at Bad Branch State Nature Preserve
By Dana Kuhnline Bad Branch Falls near Whitesburg, Ky., was one of the first hikes I experienced when I moved to Appalachia almost 10 years ago. I happened to be chaperoning two vans full of at-risk teenagers on a weekend trip from West Virginia to Whitesburg. The last stop before heading home was this hike.…
Read MoreGoforth Creek: A Trail in Peril
By Joe Tennis Practically every other day, especially in summer, you can find 33-year-old Zack Dunn dipping his feet in the waterfalls of Goforth Creek. “We’re out once, twice, maybe three times a week,” says Dunn, a resident of Benton, Tenn. “It can be 100 degrees out here, and you can come here, and it…
Read MoreTips for Hiking with Kids
• Hiking is a great way to tap into children’s instinctive curiosity, as long as you’re prepared to slow your pace and stop to explore whatever catches their attention. • Let kids carry their own small packs. Having their own water bottle, snack and camera gets them engaged. • Prepare everyone for the fact that…
Read MoreHitting the Trail with Kids at Hungry Mother
Story and photos by Paige Campbell Becoming a parent is no reason to turn in your hiking boots. Children are naturals on the trail, in fact, and as long as you adjust your expectations, there are plenty of trails that are completely doable for hikers of all sizes, and very much worth doing. A favorite…
Read MoreA Story of Perseverence
Hiker Overcomes Medical Condition to Complete Final Leg of AT By Molly Moore Exploring the mountains wasn’t a part of Kenneth Bordwell’s childhood in Dayton, Ohio. His father read news clippings about Grandma Gatewood, a remarkable woman from southeast Ohio who hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine three times, but Bordwell didn’t step…
Read MoreTrek Across Georgia’s Rooftop
Story and photo by Peter Barr Two short hikes in northern Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains climb to the state’s highest peaks and reward visitors with its most stunning views. While the elevations of Brasstown Bald and Rabun Bald reign supreme in the Peach State, their picturesque scenery and fascinating cultural history are also difficult to…
Read MoreSpelunking the Highlands | Owning the Caves
Worley’s Cave: Worthy of Respect and Care By Matt Grimley With my headlight loosely strapped and my boots tightly tied, I walked into the mouth of Worley’s Cave and I realized something: 28 boy scouts. That’s how many boy scouts you shouldn’t have on a caving trip. Still, I enjoyed this pubescent expedition with River…
Read MorePush to the Pinnacle
By Molly Moore Pinnacle Park lies less than three miles from North Carolina’s oft-traveled Great Smoky Mountains Expressway. Unannounced by roadside signs, its network of trails explores the lookouts, ridges and valleys surrounding bubbly Fisher Creek. The creek’s headwaters, formerly the town of Sylva’s drinking water supply, are also the reason why these 1,100 acres…
Read MoreGetting Wild in Dolly Sods Wilderness
By Joe Tennis Julie Fosbender stepped carefully down the trail called Fisher Spring Run, heading downhill on a Monday morning. We hiked together for almost two miles along this unmarked-yet-mapped path in the Dolly Sods Wilderness, an expansive and scenic section of the Monongahela National Forest. The Dolly Sods Wilderness is a hiker’s dream, spanning…
Read MoreAbrams Falls Trail: A Jaunt to a Jewel of the Smokies
By Stephen Otis The Abrams Falls Trail has historical nuances you won’t find just anywhere. Located in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, the trail, creek and falls are named after a historic leader of the Cherokee Nation, Chief Abram; a short side trail leads to Elijah Oliver’s…
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