Smoky to Marco Explorer

Each new exhibition at the gallery opens with a reception, so it's an easy local outing to see fresh work. The gallery hosts several exhibitions each...

Tennessee's waterfalls get a different kind of beauty in winter. When temperatures stay below freezing for several days, cascades can freeze into ice...

Start with birding: a beginner class led by local expert biologists at Rookery Bay on Friday, Nov. 6, 8-11 a.m.. It costs $30, and registration is...

Marco Walk Plaza is described as one of the island's most visited shopping destinations. It's an outdoor center near South Collier Boulevard that...

Plan around these closures on Sunday, November 8:

• Roads closed: Cades Cove Loop Road and Laurel Creek Road, until around 11 a.m.
• Pass required:...

Lee County manages and protects over 30,000 acres of parks and environmental lands. A few standouts show what that means on the ground:

• Bob Janes...

Close-ups capture fine detail, but the surroundings can carry much of the story. Consider these points:

• Context: Habitat shows where an animal...

November brings thinner crowds on many mountain trails. A few spots stand out:

• Smokies: Newfound Gap Road can close for snow and ice, while Kuwohi...

Most Blue Ridge road trips center on overlooks and trails, but paddling offers a quieter, water-level alternative.

• Plan ahead: Most Blue Ridge...

Flood advisories cover parts of Collier, Hendry and Glades counties, and minor flood risk now applies to all of Southwest Florida.

• Significant rain...

The Marco Island area guide highlights the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for wildlife encounters with dolphins, manatees, pelicans, and egrets in a protected coastal ecosystem.

Most hikers turn around at the bluffs, a huge overhanging cliff about eighty feet tall that isn't a true cave.

• On the route: a rushing stream with...

A dead humpback washed ashore near Pawleys Island, and experts are performing a necropsy to find out how it died. Key points:

• Ship strike check:...

Writing on a warm Halloween afternoon in Portland, the author reflects on a year of public lands setbacks, including the rescinding of the Roadless...

The Gatlinburg Trail is a good choice for an easy outing near town. It's a relatively flat walk of about 3.8 miles round trip.

• Scenery: It follows...

Some standout wildlife shots from this week:

• Perfect timing: Ronen Tivony froze a great egret tossing a fish, water droplets included.
• Florida...

Naples' wild side is right outside town, and the best viewing advice comes down to giving animals space:

• Manatees: never feed or touch them, since...

Deep Creek works well as a base for water and trail days:

• Water fun: The Deep Creek area offers excellent tubing, minutes from camp.
• Hiking:...

Cades Cove is known for its 11-mile loop, but a survey by mental health provider A Mission for Michael named it Tennessee's No. 1 "spiritual home"....

Fall color is peaking in the lower elevations along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in several Asheville spots, with ExploreFall.com pointing to vivid...