The Appalachian Trail north of Damascus, Virginia, follows a portion of the Virginia Creeper Trail, a popular 35-mile rail trail, before climbing into the high country of grassy bald summits and spruce-fir forests of the Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, which contains 5,000 acres of terrain over 4,000 feet in elevation. At 5,729 feet, heavily forested Mount Rogers is the highest peak in Virginia. The highlight of this beautiful section of trail, which also includes Grayson Highlands State Park, is the herd of feral ponies, about the...
read moreThe geographic areas where Lyme disease is a bigger danger have grown dramatically, according to a new government study published this week. U.S. cases remain concentrated in the Northeast and upper Midwest. But now more areas in those regions are considered high risk. “The risk is expanding, in all directions,” said the lead author, Kiersten Kugeler of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are now 260 counties where the number of Lyme disease cases is at least twice what’s expected, given the size of each...
read moreNEBO, N.C., July 18, 2015 – An estimated 2 acre wildfire burning on Forest Service land near Bald Knob in McDowell County will require temporary closure of a section of the Mountains to Sea Trail between the footbridge over the North Fork of the Catawba River and Dobson Knob Road (Forest Service Road 106). The trail closure will be in effect until fire is declared controlled. Forest Service officials are asking the public to avoid this area for their own safety and the safety of emergency response personnel on scene. The Bald Knob fire...
read moreHartman Creek State Park, covering 1,500 acres in Waupaca and Portage counties in Wisconsin, draws visitors for many reasons. With six lakes within park boundaries or adjacent to it, a stream and several wetlands, well maintained campgrounds (even a teepee), swimming beach, historic log cabin, interpretive programs by a trained naturalist and natural beauty for all senses in all seasons, what is not to like? The park also offers some great trails, including specialty trails. And though these draw users from all over the state, and beyond,...
read moreThere is no shortage of hiking trails and mountains in Cape Town, South Africa but make sure you know the basics before you embark on your voyage. The walking and hiking trail options in Cape Town are virtually endless, from Table Mountain to Lion’s Head, Signal Hill to Kirstenbosch. Just make sure you do your research, carry water, and have a reliable map—and whatever you do, please don’t wear sandals. In the summertime, it’s best to schedule your hike in the early morning to avoid high temperatures and hordes of people...
read moreThe man who set a new record for speed traversing the Appalachian Trail, Scott Jurek, was issued three summonses by rangers on Mt. Katahdin. After completing his 46-day run, state park rangers issued him summonses for public drinking, littering and hiking with an oversize group. Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and lays inside the boundary of Baxter State Park, which is managed as back country. The Appalachian Trail is a National Park and federally regulated. The trail extends into the park by agreement of two...
read moreDon’t know your karst from your krummholz? Do you think holloway is used solely as a surname? Brush up on your hiking and camping terms with our glossary. That pile of rocks and gravel on a mountainside? There’s a word for that. Wilderness travel takes more than a pair of strong legs; it requires common sense. An ability to read the land and a basic understanding of trail conditions can be the difference between embarking on a hard slog and pure bliss. Learning the lingo is part of the process, saving novices from grief and providing...
read moreA grandfathered mining claim has opened the doors to development in the Frank Church – River of No Return Wilderness. “Nothing in this Act shall prevent within national forest wilderness areas any activity, including prospecting, for the purpose of gathering information about mineral or other resources, if such activity is carried on in a manner compatible with the preservation of the wilderness environment.” — The Wilderness Act “Be it enacted… that all valuable mineral deposits in lands belonging to the United States, both...
read moreMajor national scenic trails such as the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail traverse thousands of miles across our beautiful country. Hikers attempting a thru-hike or continuous hike of the trails travel through literally scores of national forests and national parks, and scattered parcels of private land. The private land along the trails is shrinking due, in large part, to the success of a federal conservation program. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is used to buy private land from willing...
read moreBig news from North Carolina – wind company Iberdola and retail giant Amazon broke ground on a new wind farm in northeastern North Carolina that’s not only the first major wind farm in the state, but the first major wind project in the South. It’s an empty field now, but this area in northeastern North Carolina will soon be home to some towering wind turbines that will provide 208 megawatts of clean energy – enough to power 60,000 homes – and Amazon will buy that electricity to help meet its goal of being 100...
read moreThe National Park Service thought it had a good strategy for reining in the discarded water bottles that clog the trash cans and waste stream of the national parks: stop selling disposable bottles and let visitors refill reusable ones with public drinking water. But Big Water has stepped in to block the parks from banning the plastic pollutants — and the industry found an ally on Capitol Hill to add a little-noticed amendment to a House spending bill that would kill the policy. As environmental groups and local officials campaign for a sales...
read moreCairns have a long history and purpose, one that newer stacks sometimes subvert. The Gorham Mountain Trail at Acadia National park winds up through a forested mountain slope before bursting out onto one of the granite-boulder covered summits for which the park is famous. But once you get up there, following the loop back down would be tricky if it weren’t for rock stacks built by Waldron Bates — they feature a long flat rock supported by two legs and a smaller rock pointing in the direction of the trail. For centuries, humans have been...
read moreNature doesn’t need people. People need Nature. Human beings are part of Nature. Nature is not dependent on human beings to exist. Human beings, on the other hand, are totally dependent on Nature to exist. The growing number of people on the planet and how we live here is going to determine the future of Nature . And the future of us. Nature will go on, no matter what. It will evolve. The question is, will it be with us, or without us? If Nature could talk, it would probably say it doesn’t much matter either way. We must...
read moreScott Jurek’s wasn’t the only new speed record today. Josh Sanders and his sister Lindsay broke the world speed record for highpointing the lower 48 United States. Driving thousands of miles, hiking hundreds of miles, and climbing over 250,000 vertical feet of mountains in less than 23 days. They began on June 23, 2015 and finished on July 12. 19 days, 7 hours, 37 minutes. So they broke the previous record by three days. Learn more about this unusual accomplishment here and here. More information will be posted as it becomes...
read moreScott Jurek, renowned champion long distance runner, today broke the Appalachian Trail (AT) speed record previously set by Jennifer Pharr Davis of Asheville, NC in 2011 by just three hours. The difference, over the 2,189-mile AT, was akin to a photo finish. Jurek climbed Mt. Katahdin in Maine on Sunday, July 12, 2015, the 47th day after he started at Springer Mountain, Georgia. To accomplish the feat, Jurek had to average more than 46 miles per day for six and a half weeks. Jurek’s, and Davis’, accomplishments will always be...
read moreFrom the top of a steep hillside covered in lemon trees and grapevines, the village of Manarola tumbles out below, like a handful of pink, orange and yellow blocks that have been shaken, then poured from a toy bag. Manarola is one of five hamlets strewn a few miles apart along the Mediterranean coast in Northern Italy. Each comes with its own personality, and the best way to see the lot is to pick one as a home base, then spend a few days hiking between them, pausing to sip wine, eat grilled octopus and cool off with a swim in the sea. Hike...
read moreA new wooden walkway in New York’s Adirondack Mountains takes nature lovers on a tour of the treetops to let them experience the forest from the perspective of the birds and beasts that live there. The $5.5 million Wild Walk is set on the 80 wooded acres of the Wild Center, an interactive natural history museum in Tupper Lake, NY. It opened Saturday, July 4, 2015. The elevated trail has a series of winding bridges and platforms 40 feet above the ground. Visitors can climb through a realistic four-story replica of a hollow pine tree,...
read moreConservationists work tirelessly to protect America’s most wild and treasured parks, forests, monuments, wildlife refuges and other public lands. President Obama has responded by protecting natural wonders in California, Nevada and Texas as national monuments, to be cherished and enjoyed for generations to come. Berryessa Snow Mountain, in California, showcases the Inner Coast Ranges, rich with oak woodlands, clear creeks and fields of wildflowers. It is a haven for outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing and is easily accessible to both the...
read moreFueled by unusually high temperatures, hundreds of wildfires are burning across Western Canada — and they’re sending their smoke south across the United States border. Wildfire danger throughout Western Canada is “very high,” according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS), with the majority of fire activity taking place in three provinces: Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Alberta. “Nationally,” the CWFIS’ most recent report reads, “fire activity has increased dramatically and is now well above average for this time of...
read moreJust a couple hours’ drive from Las Vegas, the Basin and Range area comprises Garden Valley and Coal Valley as well as corridors connecting the surrounding Timpahute, Pahroc, Worthington, Mt. Irish, Seaman, Golden Gate, Grant and Quinn Canyon mountain ranges. Among other things, Basin and Range’s rugged landscape is considered a monument to the awesome span of geological time itself. Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) previously introduced legislation to protect Basin and Range, and there is support in Nevada for protecting the...
read moreThe 40-year-old dad of four early Thursday, July 9, 2015 trotted down a rain-soaked Longs Peak, completing his inspiring quest for a speed record climbing all 58 points over 14,000 feet in Colorado at 2:21 a.m. — a total of nine days, 21 hours and 51 minutes. Hamilton has raced up and down the state’s highest peaks, setting a blistering pace that eclipsed all who went before him in the rarefied world of speed mountain climbing. The Denver-based climber caught snippets of sleep in the last nine days, relentlessly jogging up and down...
read morePerhaps you’ve hiked the Alum Cave Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the last few weeks. Then you know that The Friends of the Smokies Trails Forever crew is making progress on the restoration of this popular trail. The 11-person National Park Service crew is joined by 21 Conservation Corps members on Monday through Thursday. The trail work started in May 2015 and will continue through mid-November for this phase of the work and will continue during 2016. On trail work days, the trail is closed to hikers. But the trail is open...
read moreThe National Forest Foundation (NFF) recently expanded its partnership with the Salt River Project (SRP) to restore imperiled aspen forests on the Kaibab National Forest in northern Arizona. A leading partner of the NFF’s reforestation efforts, SRP has been supporting landscape-scale reforestation in northern Arizona through their Trees for Change program since 2009. This year, customer contributions collected through SRP’s Trees for Change program will restore aspen stands in northern Arizona. Aspen forests currently comprise...
read moreLee County, Florida Parks & Recreation invites visitors and residents to explore the new hiking and equestrian trails at Conservation 20/20’s Buckingham Trails Preserve located in east Fort Myers. The preserve provides a newly built parking area and trail system totaling more than 7 miles. There are 2.3 miles of hiking trails and 4.8 miles for both horseback riding and hiking. This 572-acre preserve features scrubby and mesic flatwoods along with several small wetland systems and cultural resources associated with the property’s past...
read moreAfter more than two months of walking, the generosity of strangers is what surprises Natalie Koffarnus the most. The Wisconsin resident on May 3 set out on the Ice Age Trail from St. Croix Falls with the goal of walking the entire 1,200-mile path to Potawatomi State Park by Aug. 1. It’s the kindness of people she’s never met that has helped her along the way. Trail “angels” are Ice Age Trail Alliance members who offer food, refreshments or shelter to hikers such as Koffarnus. Member Bob Baker accompanied Koffarnus on her journey...
read moreGreat Smoky Mountains National Park officials announced the temporary closure of three trail sections in the lower Forney Creek Trail area for a trail rehabilitation project that will include work on the Lakeshore, White Oak Branch, and Forney Creek trails. Mechanized equipment will be used to significantly improve the condition and sustainability of these trails. The project will include re-establishing the trail surface, installing sustainable drainage features, and constructing locust log structures. Lakeshore Trail from the Tunnel...
read moreMany crops in the drought-stricken state of California are actually being irrigated with fracking wastewater. Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure, which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. Wastewater produced from this process is highly toxic and filled with a variety of chemicals. In the midst of the recent drought in California, it was discovered...
read moreCarbon capture will play a central role in helping the nations of the world manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Many materials are being tested for the purpose of capturing CO2. New results show that ordinary clay can work just as effectively as more advanced materials. “It is quite remarkable that clay can capture as much CO2 as other materials that are being investigated,” says Jon Otto Fossum, professor at the Department of Physics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Clay offers many benefits...
read morePrakash Javadekar said that Delhi would submit plans to cut emissions to the UN, but would not announce a target date for when it expected its total carbon emissions to drop. His comments came two days after China told the United Nations that its emissions would peak around 2030. India is the world’s third largest carbon emitter, after China and the US. Scientists say global emissions need to peak and drop soon if the world is to avoid catastrophic climate change. “The world is not expecting… India to announce its peaking...
read moreWithin the deep emerald twilight of the north woods, as the smell of pine and moss gives way to the lake-crisp air and the windblown expanse of Lake Superior washing up against the sandstone cliffs and rocky beaches, it’s easy to forget all of the stresses of civilization. On the North Country Trail — the longest and one of the wildest trails in the U.S. — you can. If Gov. Rick Snyder’s plans come to fruition, the North Country Trail will form 1,069 miles of the proposed Iron Belle Trail, traversing forest, wetlands, Lake Superior...
read moreThe same elevation changes crowded into a small space that make Payson so diverse when it comes to scenery, plants and animals, also provide some of the most scenic and interesting hiking, biking and horseback riding trails in Arizona. For starters, the area boasts hundreds of miles of trails through the national forests, along streams, lakes and ridgelines. But that’s not all: Payson also has developed one of the most extensive networks of hiking and biking trails in the state — which pass through town and connect to the wealth of Forest...
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I am Jeff Clark, founder of Internet Brothers, producer of this blog, and passionate about hiking. I live in Western NC near the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains. Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests are just out my door, so the content will focus on these areas, but let me know what you would like to see on the site. 
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