Where Do Chiggers Live? How To Identify and Prevent Chigger Bites
We moved a lot when I was young. Sometimes we lived a city life. At other points, my upbringing was decidedly rural. During these times, the local forests and fields
A Look at Cataract Falls Near Gatlinburg, the Ironically Named Waterfall
We live in amazing times. I wanted to start this story – about Cataract Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – with a joke about the irony of
The MT. Leconte Hike: How Long Does It Take? Can a Beginner Do It?
Some siblings have rivalries. Who was the better basketball player? Who dated the more popular girl in high school? Whose knowledge of Star Wars lore is better? Pretty standard stuff,
Where Is Newfound Gap? A Guide To The Most Scenic Drive in the Smokies
Sometimes the origins of a place’s name can be fascinating. The mystery of how a place came to be called Gatlinburg – for instance – instead of White Oak Flats
Is It Safe to Hike in the Smoky Mountains? 8 Life-saving Tips
One of the most frequently asked questions for people visiting the mountains for the first time would be: Is it safe to hike in the Smoky Mountains? The answer is
Hiking to Alum Cave Trail: Is It Safe? What You Should Know
Let’s start with this: The Alum Cave Trail doesn’t lead to a cave at all. The 2.3-mile hike through an old-growth hardwood forest and the narrow tunnel of Arch Rock,
How Difficult Is Ramsey Cascades? The Tallest Waterfall in the Park
You could spend a lifetime in and around the national park and not see all the wonders contained within. The truth is that of the millions of visitors to the
Smoky Mountain Llama Treks: Hiking With Llamas in the Smokies
Bear. Elk. Deer. Wildmen and Bigfoot. People come to the Smokies for a lot of reasons, but one of the chief among them is to see wildlife. But what if
Cades Cove Loop: 7 Tips Including How Long It Takes, Best Time To Go
The Cades Cove Loop, located a few miles beyond the Townsend Park entrance, is one of the most popular destinations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. And it’s a
Where Is the Browning Knob Plane Crash? Finding the Lost Wreckage
“He was right on course,” the Civil Air Patrol Major explained to a Chicago newspaper in the winter of 1983. “He was just a little low.” Ernest Martin, founder and