After a lifetime in cities, a 2015 family trip to Pigeon Forge was the reset they didn’t know they needed. By 2016, Tobin and his family had packed up their life in Texas and moved to East Tennessee for good. The pace of life changed almost immediately, and every friend or family member who came to visit left saying some version of “I have to come back — this place is special.” What started as a dream to create meaningful experiences for others, has grown into one of the area’s most unique hospitality projects. The vision of Shiloh Glamping was inspired by combining the beauty of rural Tennessee with elevated accommodations—what makes Shiloh Glamping different? A stay that is both luxurious and personal. The first unit, Abram’s Loft, was built to be an extension of their home. One A-frame, a hot tub, and trees in every direction—Abram’s Loft is the kind of place where the hardest decision of the day is whether to leave the property at all. Named after one of the hosts’ own favorite hikes, the cabin serves as an escape or home base for exploring one of the most-visited stretches of nature in the country. Here's how to make the most of both.

About Seymour

Seymour, where the cabin sits, is a charming gateway town nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Located just a short drive from Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport and neighboring the vibrant towns of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Seymour is both a peaceful retreat and an adventure hub. The culture is a friendly blend of Appalachian traditions, country music roots, and a love for the outdoors. Locals take pride in their small-town heritage, close-knit community, and their connection to the Smokies. Weekends mean family outings to the mountains, church gatherings, or browsing the farmers’ market for fresh produce and crafts.

Local Rituals

• Many locals start their mornings with a sunrise stroll or jog along the Riverwalk Greenway, soaking in peaceful mountain views.

• Fridays often mean catching high school football games—a beloved tradition that draws the whole town together.

• Saturdays are for browsing Sevierville’s farmers’ markets, where neighbors catch up and shop for homemade jams and fresh veggies.

• Sunday afternoons are reserved for family picnics in local parks or leisurely drives through the foothills, especially during peak leaf season.

What to do on the property

Don’t feel like leaving the property? There’s plenty to do straight from the cabin. Start your morning with a coffee on the deck before wandering the trails that wind through the farm. Tennessee is known for its summertime fireflies, in fact, the Elkmont area in Great Smoky Mountains National Park became so popular for its synchronous fireflies that a lottery system had to be implemented. Skip the lottery and enjoy the phenomenon instead right from the comfort of the cabin’s deck or hot tub. Speaking of the hot tub, take a soak under the stars and then end the evening with s’mores at the fire pit.

What to do off the property

Abram’s Loft sits close enough to Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, and Gatlinburg that you can pick your own adventure level for the day, then come home to relax. These are the hosts’ own picks, plus a few favorites from the Nature’s Playbook community.

Abrams Falls (Townsend) — the hike Abram’s Loft is named after, and the obvious first stop.

Sugarlands Valley Nature Trail (Gatlinburg) — an easy, paved half-mile loop along the river, good for a low-key walk.

Charlie’s Bunion — for a bigger day: a strenuous out-and-back on the Appalachian Trail from Newfound Gap, ending at a dramatic cliffside viewpoint.

Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome) Guided Tour — Take a hike through the Great Smoky Mountains to Kuwohi, hiking through the highest section of the Appalachian Trail. On this half-day guided hike your guide will teach you about the local flora and fauna and take you to observation tower at the top to see views of the surrounding area.

Zipline — Take in the beauty of Sevierville Nature Park with a private zipline tour. You’ll travel along the 2,500 foot-long course with the Smoky Mountains as a backdrop and travel up to 50mph.

Jeep Tours — Book a guided jeep tour of the Smoky Mountains. Take about a half day to explore all the woodlands and water features that make up the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and explore the American Frontier with nearly 200 years of history.

ATV Tours — Ride up to a high bluff with valley views and down to a mudhole (immersion optional), and down backcountry trails from Pigeon Forge.

Scenic helicopter tours — See the Smoky Mountains in their full, rise above historic downtown Sevierville, and catch a glimpse of Pigeon Forge and Tennessee Valley from the air before swooping over the majestic Chilhowee Mountain Range. Get a bird’s-eye view of vast, undeveloped swaths of Smoky Mountain National Park, soaring just above the treetops and cresting over the sheer cliffs of Bluff Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain. It’s an unforgettable way to experience the beauty of one of America’s great mountain ranges.

Good to know

• Abram’s Loft sleeps two - perfect for a couple’s getaway.

• Shiloh Glamping sits between Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and Knoxville, so you’re never more than about 40 minutes from any of the three.

• A portion of every booking supports Lifesong for Orphans, a cause the host family has backed since 2020.

Whether you spend the whole trip in the hot tub or fill every hour with hikes and host-recommended pizza, Abram’s Loft is built to make the drive home the hardest part. Learn more and book your stay at shilohglamping.com.

About Nature’s Playbook

Nature’s Playbook is the link between wellness and outdoor travel. We share stories to build community, get people outside, and support local businesses. Through our sister company Alli-Gate, we get to build travel playbooks with incredible hosts like Tobin and Jennifer at Shiloh Glamping, who focus on creating the best possible guest experience.

Travel Day

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Sterling Pond

Difficulty: Moderate

Length: 2.3 miles out and back

Gain: ~938ft

Seemingly short and …

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If you’ve been following this series, you already know that BLM lands and other federal public lands are managed under a complex web of mandates, agencies, and competing uses. The San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado are a good example of how that complexity plays out on the ground. The BLM’s Tres Rios Field Office manages more than 600,000 acres…

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The d…

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What is the BLM

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This is a recording of our second Nature’s Playbook “The Atlas” Book Club discussion of Eat Like a Fish by Bren Smith. It was such a thoughtful and engaging conversation, and we truly appreciate everyone who took the time to participate, ask questions, and share ideas.

A special thank-you to our guest keynote speaker, Mae Connor, for joining us and generously sharing her expertise. Mae is an Aquatic Biologist with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers based in the Pacific Northwest. Her work focuses primarily on anadromous salmonids—particularly ESA-listed species—studying their populations, reproduction, and habitat restoration. As someone working closely with these ecosystems in and around Seattle, Mae brought real-world insight to many of the themes discussed in the book.

Our conversation ranged widely—from salmon ecology and regional tribal knowledge to the current realities Mae is seeing in the Pacific Northwest. We discussed common misnomers surrounding farmed fishing, particularly salmon farming, and some of the environmental challenges and trade-offs associated with those systems. The book’s candid and often humorous storytelling style also sparked conversation, as Bren Smith shares his journey in a very honest, fisherman-to-reader voice. Many of us were surprised by what we learned—from the role of kelp and shellfish in improving ocean health to the broader food and environmental implications of regenerative ocean farming. While the book doesn’t shy away from difficult environmental realities, it also offers a hopeful vision for the future of food production and ocean stewardship. We also explored complex topics like hydropower, recognizing that even solutions considered renewable can carry environmental costs if the full chain of cause and effect isn’t fully considered and planned for. Mae’s perspective helped bring these ideas to life in a way that deepened the conversation for all of us.

For those who may be newer to the book, Eat Like a Fish is both a personal story and a hopeful vision for the future of our oceans. Bren Smith shares his journey from commercial fisherman to ocean farmer, pioneering regenerative ocean farming that grows kelp and shellfish while restoring marine ecosystems, creating jobs, and helping feed communities sustainably. It’s a fascinating and inspiring look at how working with nature—rather than against it—can help heal our waters.

We were especially grateful for the thoughtful questions and insights that came from this group. The curiosity and perspective each of you brings is what makes this community so special.

Looking Ahead

If you have a book suggestion for our next Atlas read, we would love to hear it. Please feel free to reply with a title you think would spark meaningful discussion and connect to our shared curiosity about nature, place, and stewardship.

We would also love to see experiences inspired by our recent reads shared on the Nature’s Playbook community page under The Atlas.
If you haven’t yet, consider posting an outdoor experience connected to The Enduring Wild. Over the next couple of months, we’d also love to see experiences connected to Eat Like a Fish.

The idea is simple: share an experience through the lens of what you learned from the book—whether that’s understanding ecosystems differently, noticing the role each species plays, or thinking more deeply about how human choices affect the natural world.

Experience Ideas Inspired by Eat Like a Fish

Coastal Experiences
• Visit a working harbor or fishing dock
• Walk the beach after a tide and observe seaweed washed ashore
• Explore a rocky shoreline tide pool and observe how different species coexist
• Snorkel, kayak, or dive above a kelp forest
• Visit a shoreline where oysters or mussels grow naturally
• Go fishing
• Visit an outdoor fish market

Anywhere Experiences (including landlocked regions)
• Visit a farmers market and talk with growers about soil health
• Explore a community garden and ask about composting or natural fertilizers (including seaweed or kelp if used)
• Visit a garden focused on biodiversity and soil health
• Observe a river, lake, or wetland ecosystem and note the interconnected species
• Participate in or organize a river or lake cleanup
• Visit a water garden and observe how different plants and animals contribute to the ecosystem

Finally, if you’ve enjoyed these conversations and have a friend or family member who might enjoy joining us, please feel free to invite them. We always welcome new voices and perspectives to the group.

Thank you again for being part of this community and for bringing your curiosity, ideas, and passion for the natural world.

Warmly,
Nature’s Playbook
The Atlas Book Club

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I could write a whole series on Glacier, but for the purpose of this blog post and your short attention spans, I’ll keep it quick to our NP communities top hikes.

A Brief History of the Park

Established in 1910, Glacier National Park protects over a million acres of rugged peaks, alpine meadows, and glacially carved valleys in northern Montana. The land has long been home to the Blackfeet, Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d’Oreille peoples, whose deep cultural connections to these mountains pre-date the park by thousands of years. Often called the “Crown of the Continent,” Glacier sits at the headwaters of multiple major river systems and was shaped by massive glaciers that once covered much of the landscape—many of which, while rapidly receding today, still define the park’s dramatic terrain.

To learn more about the park’s history listen to the official podcast of Glacier National Park, Headwaters. Follow Headwaters on Apple Podcasts or wherever you find your podcasts.

Subscribe now

Grinnell Glacier

Length: ~11mi

Time: 5.5-6hrs

Elevation gain: 2,000ft

Type: out and back

Details: Grinnell Glacier

If there’s one hike that encapsulates Glacier’s scale and grandeur, it’s Grinnell Glacier. Images really don’t do this place justice. Be prepared for a long but incredibly epic day.

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A quick recap of what we learned last week:

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