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
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 . Other notable peaks include Richland Balsam, which is the highest peak in the range, Black Balsam Knob, and Mount Pisgah.

Contents

The crest of the range is known as the Pisgah Ridge, and for the majority of its length forms the border between Haywood County to the north, Jackson County to the southwest, and Transylvania County to the southeast. The far eastern part of the range forms the border between Buncombe and Henderson Counties. Several towns are located in the valleys surrounding the range, including Brevard, Cullowhee, Waynesville, Canton, and the southwest suburbs of Asheville.

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along its length and at Richland Balsam (milepost 431), the Parkway is at its highest point (6053 feet). Large portions of the range are part of Pisgah or Nantahala National Forest, making the area popular for recreation. The Middle Prong and Shining Rock Wildernesses are located in the center of the range and are both part of Pisgah National Forest. Several waterfalls are located in the range, such as Looking Glass Falls, Moore Cove Falls, and the waterfalls of Graveyard Fields.

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, United States Department of the Interior.
  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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