Great Balsam Mountains

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Great Balsam Mountains
Haywood-Jackson Overlook, October 2016 1 (cropped).jpg
Great Balsam Mountains as seen from the Blue Ridge Parkway
Highest point
Peak Richland Balsam
Elevation 6,410 ft (1,950 m)
Coordinates 35°22′N82°59′W / 35.367°N 82.983°W / 35.367; -82.983 Coordinates: 35°22′N82°59′W / 35.367°N 82.983°W / 35.367; -82.983
Dimensions
Length21 mi (34 km)
Width18 mi (29 km)
Geography
CountryUnited States
State North Carolina
Parent range Appalachian Mountains
Geology
Type of rock gneiss

The Great Balsam Mountains, or Balsam Mountains, are in the mountain region of western North Carolina, United States. [1] [2] The Great Balsams are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which in turn are a part of the Appalachian Mountains. The most famous peak in the Great Balsam range is Cold Mountain, which is the centerpiece of author Charles Frazier's bestselling novel Cold Mountain .

Contents

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along its length and at Richland Balsam (milepost 431), the Parkway is at its highest point (6053 feet).

Peaks

Reinhart Knob Reinhart Knob from Caney Fork Overlook, Oct 2016 (cropped).jpg
Reinhart Knob

( "Mountain heights". Peakbagger.com.)

Other landmarks

Flora

The area consists of a transition forest between the southern Appalachian spruce–fir forest (which resembles forest types found at northern latitudes) and the mixed deciduous forests of temperate America. [4]

Trees

The following trees are at higher elevations:

Shrubs

See also

Sources

  1. "Great Balsam Mountains". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey.
  2. "Great Balsam Mountains". Peakbagger.com. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  3. "Judaculla". Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  4. Sutton, Myron; Sutton, Ann (1985). Eastern forests (Audubon Society Nature Guides). New York: Knopf. ISBN   0-394-73126-3. p43
  5. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Abies fraseri (Fraser fir)". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. Frankenberg, Dirk (2000). Exploring North Carolina's Natural Areas: Parks, Nature Preserves, and Hiking Trails. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   0-8078-4851-4. p343
  7. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Picea rubens (red spruce)". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  8. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Rhododendron calendulaceum (flame azalea)". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 7 June 2022.

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