The Great Smoky Mountain National Park (Smokies) is probably on top of anyone’s list whenever they’re thinking about a nature trip, going on a hike, or climbing the mountains. Well, at least it was ...

From bears and bobcats to eagles and elk, 22,893 species have been documented so far in Great Smoky Mountains National Park — and nearly half of them are insects. Becky Nichols, the park’s long-time ...

After my favorite mountain towns started to get too crowded with tourists, I found a new favorite entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The magic of the Great Smoky Mountains is something every Southerner must experience at least once. And like with other Southern stalwarts (think sweet tea and fried chicken), where a taste ...

Southern Appalachia affords many opportunities to watch and learn more about our diverse species of wildlife. At my home near the border of Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, I see migrating ...

What better way to spend a summer day than reconnecting with nature? In honor of Juneteenth, the National Park Service is waiving all entrance and parking fees for visitors to its parks on June 19. At ...

The famous synchronized fireflies are just one of many types of insects that fall under the purview of national park entomologist Becky Nichols.

About 15 years ago, I moved to Nashville and was excited to learn that it was located just a short drive away from Tennessee's Smoky Mountains. Since then, it's been a regular trip for my husband and ...

Some people hear that Great Smoky Mountains is America’s most-visited national park and think it’s a reason to stay away. The opposite is true. There’s a reason it’s so popular: This spectacular ...

With its bright orange color and blob-like form, witch’s butter (Tremella mesenterica) looks more like a Halloween prop than a fungus — but it’s very real, and very weird. This jelly fungus appears ...

Knoxville natives Sherri Gibson and Marcia League call it their “backyard.” To everyone else, it’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The two women, both in their seventies, have grown up in and ...