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CURRENT Features

‘In the Spirit of Pine Mountain’

For many decades, that phrase has been the traditional closing for letters written by the directors of Pine Mountain Settlement School. What, I wondered, did it mean?

Trailblazer to Changemaker

Jennifer Pharr Davis is using the same strength that saw her hike the 2,197-mile Appalachian Trail in 46 days to make the world a better place, including relentless Hurricane Helene recovery help in her native Western North Carolina.

Romantic Mountain Retreats

Some fancy, some rustic and all for just the two of you getting away.

March/April Skywatch: Late Winter’s and Early Spring’s Captivating Celestial Scene

Winter evenings are known for their many bright stars gracing our sky.

Bloom Quiz: A Photo Essay

It’s time to brush up on identifying the surest signs of spring, as provided by our contributing photographers.

Current Issue

This was the first school room at Pine Mountain Settlement School, 1914.

‘In the Spirit of Pine Mountain’

For many decades, that phrase has been the traditional closing for letters written by the directors of Pine Mountain Settlement School. What, I wondered, did it mean?
Davis's then-record 2011 hike began at the northern terminus of the trail at Mount Katahdin in Maine. She averaged 47 miles a day.

Trailblazer to Changemaker

Jennifer Pharr Davis is using the same strength that saw her hike the 2,197-mile Appalachian Trail in 46 days to make the world a better place, including relentless Hurricane Helene recovery help in her native Western North Carolina.
Sweethearts say “I do” at The Majestic Treehouse, part of the Bolt Farm in Walhalla, South Carolina.

Romantic Mountain Retreats

Some fancy, some rustic and all for just the two of you getting away.
skywatch

March/April Skywatch: Late Winter’s and Early Spring’s Captivating Celestial Scene

Winter evenings are known for their many bright stars gracing our sky.
Hint: If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry. I’m drought-tolerant. I’m also NOT what my name implies. There are 80,000 varieties of me and I begin blooming in spring; you can see my blooms from spring to summer. What am I?

Bloom Quiz: A Photo Essay

It’s time to brush up on identifying the surest signs of spring, as provided by our contributing photographers.
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Departments

At Coopers Rock State Forest, new Stargazer cabins invite guests to look up through skylights and telescopes.
Country Roads

Even Closer to Almost Heaven

New Stargazer cabins at Coopers Rock State Forest offer a skyward escape in the mountains of West Virginia.

June 29, 2026
©Duncan Seaman
Country Roads

A Mountain Tradition Turns 90 

Visitors flock to Galax, Virginia, each summer for the Old Fiddlers’ Convention, a days-long celebration of Appalachian music.

June 29, 2026
Synchronous Fireflies
Creature Feature

The Light Fantastic

Fireflies are struggling with the effects of artificial light.

June 29, 2026

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