Highland Outdoors Magazine

06/12/2026

Paddling a stream as unique as Upper Seneca Creek meant navigating fallen trees, fast water, and unexpected hazards around every bend... but for Art Barket and his crew, quick thinking and persistence led to a once-in-a-lifetime run through one of West Virginia’s most breathtaking landscapes 🤗

Read more about Barket’s quest to paddle every whitewater run in West Virginia in the Spring issue of Highland Outdoors.

📸 Written and photographed by Art Barket

06/11/2026

It's Wild Turtle Week! 🐢

Turtles have been around for more than 220 million years—outlasting dinosaurs and quietly playing an important role in the ecosystems we love today.

But many turtle species face growing threats from habitat loss, road crossings, and illegal collection. Because turtles take years (sometimes decades) to reach reproductive age, every turtle matters.

If you spot a turtle crossing the road, and it's safe to do so, help it continue in the direction it was already heading. And remember: wild turtles belong in the wild.

This Wild Turtle Week, let's celebrate these ancient Appalachian residents and do our part to protect them. 🌿

06/09/2026

Country roads, big skies, and views that never get old ☁️💙

📍 Union, West Virginia (Monroe County)
📸 Adriana Allen

Want to see your photo featured here? Click here: https://newsouthmedia.secondstreetapp.com/Highland-Outdoors-Photo-Submissions/rounds/1/adventure

06/06/2026

It's National Trails Day, which means we have one very important question: What's the best trail in Appalachia? 👀🥾

Not the most famous. Not the most challenging. The one you'd recommend to a friend without hesitation.

Drop your pick below ⬇️

06/05/2026

Captured from above by Mark Moody, this moment shows just how massive and wild the iconic Blackwater Canyon truly is!

📍 Blackwater Canyon
📸 Written and photographed by Mark Moody

06/03/2026

Tiny but mighty 🐌🌿

Our spring issue featured the fascinating world of Appalachia’s land snails—and the decades of work Daniel and Judy Dourson have dedicated to studying them across West Virginia. From species found nowhere else on Earth to snails that help keep forest ecosystems healthy, these often-overlooked creatures play a much bigger role than most people realize...

📸 Photo by Judy Dourson

06/01/2026

As part of his quest to paddle every whitewater run in West Virginia, Art Barket found himself caught in rising floodwaters on Brush Creek after Hurricane Helene transformed the river into a dangerous flash flood 😱

Read more about his quest to paddle all of West Virginia’s whitewater in our Spring issue of Highland Outdoors.

📸 Written and photographed by Art Barket

05/29/2026

Did you know scientists are asking West Virginians to help track eastern newts? 🦎🌿

While these bright orange salamanders might seem common now, researchers are working to document their populations before a dangerous fungal disease called Bsal reaches the United States. The disease has devastated salamander populations elsewhere—and eastern newts are especially vulnerable.

If you spot an eastern newt anywhere in West Virginia:
📸 Snap a photo
📝 Submit it to the WVDNR Eastern Newt Citizen Science Survey
🥾 And always clean your gear between outdoor adventures to help stop the spread of disease

PC: Kevin Oxenrider

05/29/2026

For those who are working to understand the legalities behind data center development, this free virtual law clinic will answer your questions.

Get no-cost legal, communications, and organizing guidance during our next Data Center Clinic from Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services attorneys and our partners Buckeye Environmental Network and Ohio River Valley Institute!

Sign up at www.fairshake-els.org/events

05/27/2026

Val Carnell from Kenna, WV submitted this AMAZING photo of Glen Ferris, West Virginia 😍

Want to see your photo featured here? Click here: https://newsouthmedia.secondstreetapp.com/Highland-Outdoors-Photo-Submissions/