Great Balsam Mountains

Great Balsam Mountains

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′N 82°59′W / 35.367°N 82.983°W / 35.367; -82.983Coordinates: 35°22′N 82°59′W / 35.367°N 82.983°W / 35.367; -82.983
Dimensions
Length 21 mi (34 km)
Width 18 mi (29 km)
Geography
Country United 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.

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

("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". 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. "PLANTS Profile for Abies fraseri (Fraser fir)". USDA PLANTS. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  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. "PLANTS Profile for Picea rubens (red spruce)". USDA PLANTS. Retrieved 2007-07-17.
  8. "PLANTS Profile for Rhododendron calendulaceum (flame azalea)". USDA PLANTS. Retrieved 2007-07-18.


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