Outdoor News

Asheville -- City of Asheville: Improvements will begin at the Asheville SkatePark on June 8.  The building located inside the park will be demolished and removed and a new concrete plaza will be built in the cleared space.

Asheville: City of Asheville Parks adn Recreation: Notice: Parks Department Operations Update on June 5, 2020. 

United States Department of Agriculture/U.S. Forest Service -- When you add it up, backyards make up the biggest chunk of green space found in cities. For urban ecologists, the persistent question is whether this habitat can sustain native species.

Asheville -- The City of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County, continues to take proactive steps to keep our community safe and healthy during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic.

North Carolina -- North Carolina Forest Service: May 12, 2020: Rendezvous Mountain Educational State Forest will reopen to the public effective 9a.m. May 13.

NAGS HEAD, N.C. (AP) — A 72-foot-long fishing vessel that ran aground on North Carolina’s Outer Banks has quickly become a tourist attraction. But the National Park Service is warning people to stay away from the shipwreck for their own safety.

(AP) Landscape architects are finding themselves on the front lines of the climate change crisis, having to come up with creative ways to adapt and help mitigate problems like rising oceans and extreme weather as they design projects across the country.

Mount Jefferson State Natural Area
Rising abruptly to more than 1,600 feet above the surrounding landscape, Mount Jefferson is often first viewed at a distance from the Blue Ridge Parkway and is a national natural landmark with a rich history.  

Check out Tube World website: The 2019-20 tubing season will be here before you know it.  Online reservations will begin soon.  Prior to December 21, tubing, if available, will be on a first come, first served basis.  We look forward to seeing you in December or sooner!  

Duke University Chronicle -- By Cameron Oglesby October 30, 2019 | 12:00am EDT

WNC -- Contrary to what you may think, winter hiking is popular in Western North Carolina. Many of the popular trails are open, and the hike is a whole new experience in this season. A really cool experience is the state parks’ 1st day hikes.  These are free, park ranger guided hikes on January 1, 2018 in most of the state parks in North Carolina. See the list below for 1st day hikes close to Avalon Mountain Community:

Oct 2019 -- (AP) Fall is the best time of year to get new trees, shrubs and perennials into the ground before cold weather sets in, and it’s often the best time to buy them, too. Garden centers traditionally mark down their off-season inventories rather than muscle them indoors for overwintering protection.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A federal judge has rejected the Trump administration’s bid to dismiss lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of a 2017 decision to downsize two sprawling national monuments in Utah.

Western North Carolina is a special place to visit no matter the season, but the Autumn brings with it the incredible burst of seasonal color. Travelers from all over the country travel to our mountains to experience the beauty of Leaf Season. Read on for an introduction to some of our favorite ways to spend Fall days!

Western North Carolina Fall Forecast 2019!               photo credit: Marjorie Farrington