Smoky Mountain Living Magazine

Smoky Mountain Living Magazine SML is a bi-monthly magazine dedicated to the history, culture, beauty, outdoors, literature and arts Each issue brings the Appalachians to life.
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Smoky Mountain Living magazine covers the southern Appalachians and celebrates the area’s environmental riches, its people, culture, music, arts, literature, history, and special places. Published six times a year, Smoky Mountain Living is a magazine for those who want to learn more about where they live and those who want to stay in touch with where they love.

Garret K. Woodward sits down with The Wildmans — the sibling Americana/indie-folk duo from Floyd, Virginia — whose debut...
11/19/2025

Garret K. Woodward sits down with The Wildmans — the sibling Americana/indie-folk duo from Floyd, Virginia — whose debut album “Longtime Friend” marks a full-circle moment in their musical journey.

Raised in the bluegrass and old-time traditions of the Blue Ridge, Aila and Elisha Wildman blend those roots with contemporary indie-folk tones, weaving tight harmonies, heartfelt songwriting, and nods to heroes like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. Recorded at Applehead Studios in Woodstock while the pair finished their studies at Berklee, the album captures both where they come from and where they’re headed next.

With touring ahead and new music finally out in the world, The Wildmans are embracing the joy of creating on their own terms.

📖 Read the full conversation in SML: https://www.smliv.com/arts/longtime-friend-back-again/

Just a few hours from the Southern Appalachians sits one of the region’s most dramatic landscapes: Breaks Interstate Par...
11/17/2025

Just a few hours from the Southern Appalachians sits one of the region’s most dramatic landscapes: Breaks Interstate Park, a 4,600-acre wilderness straddling the Virginia–Kentucky line and often called the “Grand Canyon of the South.”

Writer Nan K. Chase explores the park’s thousand-foot overlooks, hidden history, rugged trails, rebounding elk herds, and the resilient coal-country towns that surround it. From vertigo-inducing views at Towers Overlook to early-morning elk tours and winding roads through untouched forest, Breaks is a rare mix of natural beauty, deep history, and quiet solitude.

📖 Read it here on SML: https://www.smliv.com/travel/breaks-interstate-park/

🦁❄️ Step Through the Wardrobe…The magic of Narnia is coming to Knoxville!The WordPlayers and The Arts at Pellissippi Sta...
11/14/2025

🦁❄️ Step Through the Wardrobe…The magic of Narnia is coming to Knoxville!

The WordPlayers and The Arts at Pellissippi State bring C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to life on stage December 12–17 at the Clayton Performing Arts Center.

Experience the wonder of Aslan, the White Witch, and the four siblings who discover a world where winter has reigned far too long — until courage and friendship tip the balance toward light. ✨ More info at www.smliv.com

🎭 Public Performances:
• Dec 12 @ 7:30 PM
• Dec 13 & 14 @ 2:30 PM

🎟️ Tickets: $8–$18 → wordplayers.org/tickets
(Available online or at the door)

🦔 Armadillos in the Smokies?Yes — you read that right! The nine-banded armadillo has officially made its way into Great ...
11/12/2025

🦔 Armadillos in the Smokies?

Yes — you read that right! The nine-banded armadillo has officially made its way into Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Once thought to be strictly warm-weather creatures, armadillos have proven surprisingly adaptable. Sightings have now been recorded everywhere from Cades Cove to Newfound Gap, and researchers are studying how these tough little diggers are adjusting to our high-elevation winters.

Scientists are also watching to see what role they’ll play in the ecosystem here in the mountains — and what it means for the wildlife we already know and love. There’s still a lot we don’t know about their behavior in this region, which is why every observation matters. More info at www.smliv.com

📸 See one?
Snap a photo (from a safe distance — they can jump when startled!) and upload it to iNaturalist to help ongoing research.

The Smokies are wearing their winter skies now — dark, quiet, and full of wonder. 🌌This month brings slow meteors, brigh...
11/10/2025

The Smokies are wearing their winter skies now — dark, quiet, and full of wonder. 🌌

This month brings slow meteors, bright moons, and long nights.

Wait up late for the Leonids around the 17th. And listen for silence — it’s part of the show. ✨ More info at www.smliv.com

11/05/2025

Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, the nonprofit Friends of the Smokies will continue to provide funding to ensure Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains open with basic visitor services and limited staffing from Nov. 3, 2025, through Jan. 4, 2026. The latest agreement allows the pop...

🌄 Meet the Grand Canyon of the South.Breaks Interstate Park (VA/KY border) is wild, rugged, and totally underrated.Views...
11/03/2025

🌄 Meet the Grand Canyon of the South.

Breaks Interstate Park (VA/KY border) is wild, rugged, and totally underrated.
Views you feel in your chest. Trails, cabins, elk tours. Add it to your list. 👉 https://www.smliv.com/travel/breaks-interstate-park/

Remembering Camp Margaret Townsend 🌄Before the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, there was Camp Margaret Towns...
10/31/2025

Remembering Camp Margaret Townsend 🌄

Before the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, there was Camp Margaret Townsend — a beloved Girl Scout haven tucked along the Middle Prong of the Little River.

From 1925 to 1959, generations of girls spent their summers here hiking, swimming in icy mountain waters, singing by lantern light, and forging lifelong friendships beneath the Smokies’ stars.

Historian Nancy Locklin-Sofer revisits the laughter, courage, and camaraderie that defined this long-lost camp — and the remarkable women who kept its spirit alive through stories shared across the decades.

📖 Read “Word from the Smokies: Remembering Summers of Adventure at Camp Margaret Townsend” at https://www.smliv.com/stories/camp-margaret-townsend/

A Bird for Each Season 🐔🍂There’s nothing quite like the smell of a roasting bird on a cool mountain Sunday — a scent tha...
10/29/2025

A Bird for Each Season 🐔🍂

There’s nothing quite like the smell of a roasting bird on a cool mountain Sunday — a scent that calls everyone home. In her latest piece, Appalachian chef and author Susi Gott Séguret shares four seasonal takes on a timeless tradition: roasted fowl dressed with the freshest flavors of autumn, winter, spring, and summer.

📖 Read the full story and bring a taste of the mountains to your table: https://www.smliv.com/food/a-bird-for-each-season/

Did you know you can subscribe for home delivery of Smoky Mountain Living Magazine? Get six issues for just $25 and enjo...
10/27/2025

Did you know you can subscribe for home delivery of Smoky Mountain Living Magazine? Get six issues for just $25 and enjoy beautiful stories and stunning views from the Smokies all year long. Secure your subscription today ➡️ https://simplecirc.com/subscribe/smoky-mountain-living

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Smoky Mountain Living Magazine celebrates wilderness adventuring and urban exploration in Southern Appalachia. Each issue brings the Appalachians to life with a focus 0n its people, culture, music, arts, history and special places. Published six times each year, SML is a magazine for those who want more about where they live and those who want to stay in touch with a place they love.