The White Squirrel Hiking Challenge is back. You are invited to go on 8 hikes, all on lands that Conserving Carolina has helped protect. Grow your personal connection to land conservation as you experience new trails, dramatic views, famous waterfalls, and probably some places you’ve never seen before. If you complete all 8 hikes and you’re a Conserving Carolina member, you’ll receive an awards package including a $10 gift certificate from Mast General Store in Hendersonville, NC and an embroidered patch. Hiking Challenge 5...
read moreImagine you suddenly run into a wild and unpredictable forest friend. What’s the best way to respond to this animal encounter? How do you prevent or survive from an animal attack? It really depends on what animal you come across, and first of all, it’s of high importance to be prepared and do your homework before setting out for a hike. Our friends from the Restless Backpacker have prepared this infographic to help you stay alive in the wild....
read moreIt appeals to everyone, from first-responder to soccer-mom, anyone who spends time outside or rides in a vehicle. A fire starting, window breaking, seatbelt cutting, bottle popping, O2 tank opening, every-day-carry, multi-tool carabiner, a must-have tool for everyone. You don’t have to be an outdoor enthusiast to have multiple carabiners lying around. We use them on a regular basis. They come in many shapes and sizes and are great for keeping important items close at hand, preventing them from getting lost, storing things, hanging...
read moreWhat is it about fall that makes people even more anxious to get out and experience the great outdoors? Thanks to its unparalleled geography, Canada boasts an amazing array of hiking trails that show-off autumn’s cornucopia of colors. One of the country’s not-to-be-missed autumnal hikes is Miscou Island’s peat bogs. Though the island is small enough to be driven end-to-end in just 15-minutes, its leaf peeping payload is huge. Here you’ll find sand beaches ringed by peat bogs that turn a jaw-dropping scarlet come fall. Famed for its maple...
read moreMontana’s Yaak Valley was one of the most remote places Emma Vigers had ever set foot. Tucked into the corner of the Idaho state line and the Canadian Border, this heavily forested region offered the type of solitude Vigers had been looking for in a thru-hike. She was just a few weeks into her trek along the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest Trail, which connects the Continental Divide in Montana to Washington’s Olympic Coast. At dusk, Vigers and her hiking partner were plodding uphill toward a mountain summit, when they noticed a large set of...
read moreIt’s not every day that Time names a hiking trail to their annual World’s 100 Greatest Places list. In fact, this is a first. And this is just the beginning of the attention and recognition that the new Transcaucasian Trail, a more than 1,800-mile trail that connects some of the most beautiful and remote regions of Armenia and Georgia (and eventually Azerbaijan) to one another, has started to receive. And while these are some of the most incredible landscapes you could ever experience in person, it isn’t just the views that make the...
read moreThe odds of dying from a falling tree are still small but maybe not as small as they used to be. Here’s why—and what to do about it. There are no exact statistics kept on the number of Americans killed by falling trees, so it’s difficult to know for sure if the problem has gotten worse, and if so, how much worse. You’re still far more likely to die driving to the trailhead than you are from a falling tree. But it turns out, these tragedies may not be isolated incidents. “A lot of forests are suffering, whether it’s from pine beetles,...
read moreThis small area of land is so jam packed with hiking routes it means you’re never far from an outdoor experience. From 120 mile behemoth adventures through mountain ranges, historical strolls along coastal cliffs or even just a scenic route to discover a new destination, the UK really has hiking options to wow everyone. To make things even better trails are well marked, accommodation and transport options are bountiful and, most importantly, you’re never far from a good pub. For example, The Quirang Trail on the Isle of Skye in Scotland,...
read moreEven if you haven’t been to our most visited national park yet, you can probably picture those blue ridgelines blurred across a southern Appalachian sky by that perpetual, namesake haze. In the spring, the sight is often the backdrop for a field of colorful wildflowers; in the fall, a rich palette of changing leaves. I’m lucky to call the 500,000-acre Great Smoky Mountains my backyard, and they call images to mind that captures their character. There’s the black bear sprawling over a low branch, paw dangling; the silhouette of an elk bugling...
read moreThe popular Kilauea Iki Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park recently fully reopened, a year and a half after Kilauea erupted and more than 60,000 quakes rattled the volcano’s summit. The shaking last year damaged much of the park, including the popular four-mile loop from the rim of a crater to its floor. Now visitors will see something new along the way: large boulders that tumbled down during the seismic shaking. The trail starts out in lush forest and gives way to the sparse floor of the crater, which in 1959 was a “seething lava lake,...
read moreFall in the Northeast is a foliage frenzy. But many people who come to spot the changing colors don’t venture far from their cars or B&Bs. So all you have to do to escape the throngs of leaf peepers is set out on a day hike. You’ll find striking views of tinted maples and oaks and, with some luck, have a slice of wilderness to yourself. Even better, this time of year offers other season-specific experiences, like foraging for wild mushrooms and wildlife viewing. From a trail that leads to Maine’s highest peak to a family-friendly outing...
read moreWell, folks, there’s a first time for everything — the Ocean Cleanup project has successfully deployed a device that collects plastic pollution. It only took six years, tens of millions of dollars, and a few unsuccessful attempts (or “unscheduled learning opportunities,” in the words of 25-year-old founder and CEO Boyan Slat). The nonprofit’s prior, unsuccessful designs failed to catch any plastic, broke, or overflowed. The new system even managed to pick up 1-millimeter microplastics, which Ocean Cleanup described as “a feat we were...
read moreCindy McJunkin, a veteran hike leader with Carolina Mountain Club and Smoky Mountain Hiking Club, said being unprepared, for mountain weather and terrain, is what she sees as the biggest source of getting into trouble on the trail. “It’s really difficult when you’re at your home at 2,200 feet (in elevation) and it’s sunny, to visualize how much cooler and windier it is in the mountains,” said McJunkin, 58, a nurse from Candler. She is intimately familiar with the dips, valleys, summits and drainages in Great Smoky Mountains National Park,...
read moreOutdoor recreation opportunities continue to expand in the Ariona’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve of Maricopa County. The permanently protected swath of Sonoran Desert in north Scottsdale that has more than 220 miles of trails winding through more than 30,000 acres of terrain recently gained a new trailhead. The Pima-Dynamite trailhead that opened in the preserve’s northwest corner this year is part of the Scottsdale’s Phase 3 Trail Corridor Plan. The roomy access point is bordered by Pima Road and state trust land, Dynamite Boulevard...
read moreAutumn is the time when many in the Pacific Northwest make the trek to the North Cascades to drive the Mountain Loop and North Cascade Highways in search of fall color, apple cider, and huckleberry jam. But have you ever hiked to see a larch, a deciduous conifer? Unlike most conifers, such as cedar and fir, which are evergreen, the larch drops its needles in winter. But before that happens, they turn a vibrant gold. Larch are at their peak for about two weeks, usually beginning in October. It can be tricky to catch them in their full golden...
read moreThe roar of ATVs could be coming to a Utah national park backcountry road near you under a major policy shift initiated by the National Park Service without public input. Across the country, off-road vehicles like ATVs and UTVs are generally barred from national parks. For Utah’s famed parks, however, that all changes starting Nov. 1, 2019 when these vehicles may be allowed on both main access roads and back roads like Canyonlands National Park’s White Rim and Arches’ entry points from Salt Valley and Willow Springs. The move was ordered by...
read moreHanging Rock State Park encompasses 8,605 acres, according to the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. Now, the state is tacking on another 900 acres. NCDPR celebrated the new addition to the state park in Stokes County. “This is truly a day for celebration,” said Secretary Susi H. Hamilton in a news release. “Future visitors to Hanging Rock State Park will have more trails to hike, more campgrounds and picnic areas for their families to enjoy, and incredible mountain views to behold.” The area will include camping, a new...
read moreThis family made history, and they almost did it in time for the start of the school year. The Malones spent the months of February through August, hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. 20 years after her first Appalachian hike, Jamie, her husband Chris, and their four daughters, Maya,13, Harper, 11, Josie, 8, and Sabina, 6, camped in snow, and hiked across rivers and up mountains, all with blistered toes and homework assignments to complete. “In some of the toughest physical moments, they would get sort of a fire in their eyes and say...
read moreYou don’t have to go to Egypt to see the Pyramids. That’s because the Three Pyramids, mountains created long ago by volcanic action, are in Oregon for the viewing and, at least in the case of the Middle Pyramid, for the climbing. Reaching the Middle Pyramid is a pleasant hike, only a little more than 2 miles from the trailhead. But that’s a challenging 2-plus miles because mountaintops like the Middle Pyramid require some uphill hiking, in this case an elevation gain of nearly 1,800 feet. Located in the Central Oregon Cascades, the Three...
read moreYou don’t have to leave the state for an epic hiking expedition. There are some beautiful treks in Georgia—and many not far from the Atlanta metro area. “The most common misconception about hiking in Georgia we see on a regular basis is that there are not that many hiking trails to explore,” says Kaleb East, founder of the North Georgia Hikers Instagram account, which has quickly amassed a community of more than 18,000 followers. “North Georgia Hikers receives countless comments on posts from people saying that they have never even heard of...
read moreLocated along the Blue Ridge Escarpment and traversing the Polk and Rutherford County lines, as the name implies, World’s Edge offers exquisite views of the surrounding mountains and Piedmont. Conserving Carolina (formerly Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy) purchased this property to save it from development in the early 2000’s. Then, the land was transferred to the state of North Carolina to be added to Chimney Rock State Park. Following an old roadbed, the trail will lead hikers along the ridgeline, down a saddle between World’s Edge and...
read moreLike many misunderstood and undervalued creatures in the country’s wilds, the hellbender faces innumerable threats from poisoned water to climate change. But this creature—one that has survived some of Earth’s most dramatic changes—also faces an additional threat. And that threat involves people messing with its bedroom. Seriously. Hellbenders have a home range of about 70 yards. From larvae until death, they live in the same small stretch of cold, eastern river. Hellbenders live under rocks, those pretty river stones people collect for their...
read moreHave you ever met anyone who regretted taking a good, hard day hike? There’s something special about moderately paced movement through nature that leaves one feeling refreshed, renewed, and satisfied. Because of that, hiking is rarely considered a sport in the same way as trail running or mountain biking, both of which are more acutely painful and taxing on the body. And yet recent studies show that a walk in the woods—especially at the right tempo—is a superb way to build endurance and strength. For a study published earlier this year in the...
read moreIn terms of sheer natural beauty and variety, Costa Rica is a white unicorn of sorts. The country has everything from dense rainforests and high volcanic peaks to dry tundra and gushing rivers, all of it sandwiched between two distinct coastlines blessed with epic surf and secluded beaches. “Costa Rica is like several countries in one,” says a local runner who designs multi-day trail-running adventures all over the world. “It’s full of different terrain, and different cultures. It’s full of possibilities.” Given all that, it’s no surprise...
read moreHiking is a pretty liberating experience since you get to truly immerse yourself into the gorgeous landscape of the world. But it is not without its rules, and within all rules there are always a few that are just a tad strange. Some of these rules make sense, but the reasoning may seem a bit strange. Others are reasonable, but only with a certain amount of context. But a few feel completely outlandish and it is hard to understand what the story was behind them. For example, Don’t give booze to a moose: While hiking in Alaska, you might...
read moreNational parks will offer free admission, wellness events, and stewardship activities for National Public Lands Day on Sept. 28, 2019 – the country’s biggest celebration of the great outdoors. “It is always energizing to see people, parks, and communities unite in support of public lands,” said National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith. “The variety of activities planned in national parks on National Public Lands Day will bring people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds together to help to raise awareness of these...
read moreFrom Alaska’s remote bush to downtown Cleveland, our national parks provide us with millions of acres of public land to explore. We compiled a list of the best hikes in each park, according to the wilderness guides, park rangers, and hikers who know them. Penobscot and Sargent Mountain Loop at Acadia. Summit two of the park’s highest peaks on this 9.5-mile loop through thick spruce forest that eventually gives way to pink-tinted granite crags. The route offers access to three carriage-road bridges. Devils Garden Loop at Arches. You’ll see...
read moreHave you ever spent the whole day inside sitting in school or work feeling exhausted, but when you walk outside into the sun and fresh air, you instantly feel better? There’s an actual scientific term for this feeling. Biophilia is a word for human’s innate draw to the natural environment. However, nature and forests in particular do much more for human health than just improve our mood. Here are five ways that forests can positively impact human health: 1. Spending time outside improves mental health 2. Taking a walk through the forest can...
read moreWhether made out of steel, rope, wood, concrete, or glass, the natural rocking a pedestrian suspension bridge experiences with a big gust of wind, or a group of devilish tricksters jumping up and down on it, can shake the steadiest of nerves. It’s a long way down as the bridge swings. Anyone with a good head for heights, and even those who avoid them at all costs know there’s a big difference between crossing a massive suspension bridge built for cars and trains, and one built for pedestrians. In the mood for an easy-to-get-to family holiday...
read moreGreat Smoky Mountains National Park will host a variety of opportunities on Saturday, September 28, 2019 in celebration of the 26th annual National Public Lands Day. On this day, National Park Service staff and volunteers will host information stations at popular sites throughout the national park. These stations will offer information about Leave No Trace principles and provide tips on how visitors can explore and enjoy the National Park while reducing their impact on the natural environment around them. Informational stations will be in...
read moreBreak-ins at popular hiking trails have hikers sending out warnings to their fellow outdoor enthusiasts. They want to make sure that everyone hiking is leaving their valuables at home because sometimes locking them in the car isn’t good enough. A fun outing can turn into a bad trip if your car gets targeted because of something you left behind. “I always keep everything in my bag and I always keep my bag on me or within my sight,” said one hiker. Another hiker knows her stuff isn’t always safe even when locked in a...
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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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