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Magazine
The Top 61 Happiest Mountain Towns in the Blue Ridge
Our quest to have our readers select the happiest towns in the mountains began with a set of criteria applied
April 2, 2026
Guest Columns
Ron Tipton is Executive Director/CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
Mary Ellen Hammond is the publisher of outdoor adventure guidebooks at Milestone Press in Almond, N.C. Milestone’s new hiking app, “Great Hikes of the Southern Appalachians,” is available for iphone and android.
Danny Bernstein’s mission is to get people out of their cars and hiking. She’s a hike leader and an outdoor writer. Her latest book is “The Mountains-to-Sea Trail Across North Carolina.”
Jan Davidson, a native of Murphy, N.C., is Director of the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C. He is a recipient of the North Carolina Award, the state’s highest honor, for his work in the Fine Arts.
Jennifer Frick-Ruppert is the author of “Mountain Nature: A Seasonal Natural History of the Southern Appalachians” and a professor of biology and environmental science at Brevard College in western North Carolina.
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Web Extras
Photo Recap: Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2023
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion (BRRR) is a musical festival held annually in September that celebrates the heritage of country
September 1, 2023
Behind Blue Ridge Country
“Virginia” in Virginia: Discovering Patsy Cline in Winchester
Walking Winchester in the relentless rain of a soggy spring could not dampen my enthusiasm to see the home of
August 10, 2018
Behind Blue Ridge Country
Even More Sweet Virginia Breezes
Casually cruising to Claytor Lake in southwest Virginia, I felt like I had come home – back to where it
April 12, 2018
