Head Outdoors

Horseback riding among the gorgeous rhododendron blooms.

Summertime means it’s time to get outside and play. Here are some summertime shots by Pat and Chuck Blackley.

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White jelly snow fungus growing in the author’s Botetourt County, Virginia woodlot.

May’s Wild Edible: White Jelly Snow Fungus

“Pass the fungus,” is not common dinnertime conversation in the Blue Ridge Mountains region, but that’s because folks perhaps have not heard of the white jelly snow fungus.
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Kim DeLozier: Wildlife Biologist, Author, and Park Ranger 

He’s cared for wild animals for nearly five decades, and his innovative work led to the highly successful reintroduction of elk into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Today, more than 250 elk roam the nation’s most visited national park.
Ron Messina | Courtesy of the Department of Wildlife Resources

Historic Easement Protects SWVA Land, Opens It to the Public

Lovers of wildlife, woodlands, and waters will soon have a vast area to explore in Southwest Virginia.
Elizabethton, Tennessee, USA, - May 15, 2021: Reenactment at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park of the Siege of Fort Watauga in 1776.

Revolutionary Roundup

On July 4, 1776, a new nation was born. In honor of this historic day, we explore the forts, battlefields, museums, trails, and more that trace the Patriots’ journey to freedom in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
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From the Emmeritus: The True Gift of the Mountains

The last hike report to be put before you under this byline brought the magic of place, family, and weather.
Much of the Oklawaha Greenway is lined with trees.

Walking Oklawaha Greenway

Located just minutes from downtown Hendersonville, North Carolina, this 3.25-mile scenic pathway winds through forests and wetlands.
2025 Festivals and Events

2026 Festivals & Events Guide

From the Virginias and the Carolinas to Georgia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, our annual compendium is the perfect travel companion.
A happy 8-year-old Eula Mae standing in front of her father, Woodrow, in this Golding family photo taken in 1952.

My Beloved Scenic

Before it became America’s Favorite Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway was a farm family’s front yard, playground, and memory lane.
illustration by lindsey richards barnes

Confessions of a Columnist

A note of farewell from Mill Creek Stories

CALENDAR OF EVENTS