The November Issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors is Live

QUICK HITS

Train interrupts marathon • D.C. Bike Share expands • Newborns in Nikes

FLASHPOINT

Unsolved Mysteries: Four Crimes and Disappearances from Parks and Forests in Appalachia.

THE DIRT

Water in Appalachia—the next Flint?

TRAIL MIX

Q&A with My Morning Jacket’s Jim James.

TOP ADVENTURE TOWNS

Readers selected their favorite outdoor hubs. Find out which towns are tops in the mountains. Plus: how are many mountain towns transitioning from coal economies to recreation destinations?

• The Winners
• Explore More Top Towns
• Spotlight: Knoxville’s Urban Wilderness
• Mountain of Money: The Death of Coal
• A Brighter Future

PEAK GEAR AWARDS 2016

Our athletes, editors, and experts select their favorite gear for every sport. Want to buy from Blue Ridge-based companies? We’ve also highlighted locally loved outdoor products.

EXERCISE ADDICT

Travis Muehleisen used to be strung out on opiates. Now he’s hooked on running.

CAVING CONUNDRUM

Should caves be closed to climbers in order to protect bats? Scientists and spelunkers are coming together to save an endangered species.

CONFESSIONS OF A RIVER GUIDE

“For 41% of my life now, I have been guiding people down the magical ribbons of rivers.”

THE GREEN RACE GAME PLAN

What to look for in this year’s Green Race.

WHY DO WE DO THIS TO OURSELVES

Two hikers attempt a thru-hike of the 200-mile Cumberland Trail.

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED (AND WISHED THEY HADN’T)

A Field Survey of Thru-Hikers Backpacks.