The Best Hiking Partner: Adventure Pets of the Blue Ridge
When Grizel Williams decided to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail with Rue, her 3-year-old rescue dog, she knew a lot of people would have an opinion about her d...
Hiking
From day hiking on the Appalachian Trail to thru-hiking the Smoky Mountains, hit the trail with us. We’ve got all the guides, tutorials, gear reviews, trip reports, and location suggestions to make your next adventure great. Plus, find news and information about the region’s best areas and explorers here. Look no further than Blue Ridge Outdoors for all your hiking needs.
Happy Birthday West Virginia!
Every year on June 20th, the Mountain State celebrates a very special day – its birthday! This year West Virginia is turning 156 years old. How much do you kno...
Can you bare it? June 21 is Naked Hiking Day
Can you bare it? June 21 is Naked Hiking DayThis June 21 is best known as the summer solstice—the longest day of the year—but did you know that it is also ...
Blood in the Snow
Knoxville’s first climbers to summit Everest help save a Sherpa along the wayAng Dawa Sherpa peeked his head into our tent and nodded. “Go time” caught me ...
Hometown Heroes
Locals reveal their favorite spots for in-town adventureIt’s five o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon. You want to get outside after a long day of work or cla...
38,000 miles of trail: 18 Thru-Hikes
Warren Doyle hangs up his boots after 38,000 miles on the A.T.Warren Doyle knows how this story should begin.“A 46-year-old love affair ended last ...
Outdoor Updates: Hiker missing in Hawaii found alive after 17 days
Hiker missing in Hawaii found alive after 17 daysAmanda Eller, 35, a physical therapist and yoga teacher, went missing after heading out on a short hike in...
Instinct and Empathy: The Challenges Female Hikers Face on the A.T.
My instinct told me to run. It also told me not to run while the man could still see me. Feigning calm, I walked slowly away from him and out of his sight. The...
Blaze a Trail to Elkin for NC Trail Days, May 31-June 2
Photo by Kevin CrosbyELKIN, N.C. – The inaugural NC Trail Days Festival takes place May 31-June 2 in Elkin and combines the area’s abundance of trail...
Why We Still Need Maps: Purple Lizard Charts Recreation in the Mid-Atlantic
Our group of four are spread across a grassy helicopter pad in southwestern Pennsylvania's Ohiopyle State Park. We are at a familiar place for many of the one-...
Getting There: Maps vs. Apps
What role do print maps play for outdoor adventurers in the digital age? Pisgah Map Company’s Pete Kennedy has a few ideas.Pete Kennedy has never wor...
Indigenous Trails
The Unacknowledged History of the Land Beneath Our Boots Whose land are we hiking, biking, climbing, and paddling on? When it comes to the history of ...
A.T. Entrepreneurs
An Appalachian Trail thru-hike is an incubator for several business pioneers in Southern AppalachiaFamous thinkers throughout history have touted the benef...
Outdoor Updates: Thru-hiker carries blind dog for 800 miles + Tick Surge in Mid-Atlantic
Man thru-hikes the Florida Trail with his blind dog, carrying her 800 milesKyle Rohrig “The Mayor” and his dog, a Shiba Inu named Katana, are no strangers ...
Bambi Meets Godzilla, Bubba Meets Jesus
How did iconic rapids and climbing routes get their names?Visitors to the Blue Ridge often remark that the names of our mountains are imaginative, if n...