The Plott Balsams are a mountain range in western

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

, in the southeastern United States. They are part of the Blue Ridge Mountain Province of the Southern

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...

. The Plott Balsams stretch from the city of Sylva in the

Tuckasegee River The Tuckasegee River (variant spellings include Tuckaseegee and Tuckaseigee) flows entirely within western North Carolina. It begins its course in Jackson County above Cullowhee at the confluence of Panthertown and Greenland creeks. It flows ...

valley to the southwest to

Maggie Valley Maggie Valley is a town in Haywood County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,150 at the 2010 census. A popular tourist destination, it is home to Cataloochee Ski Area and the former Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park. Maggie V ...

in the northeast. The

Great Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge ...

border the Plott Balsams to the north and the

Great Balsam Mountains The Great Balsam Mountains, or Balsam Mountains, are in the mountain region of western North Carolina, United States. The Great Balsams are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which in turn are a part of the Appalachian Mountains. The most f ...

border the range to the south. The range comprises parts of Jackson County and Haywood County. Waterrock Knob, which has an elevation of , is the highest summit in the Plott Balsam Range. Four other summits in the range rise above 6,000 feet, namely Mount Lyn Lowry, Browning Knob, Plott Balsam Mountain, and Yellow Face. Other notable summits include the Pinnacle, which overlooks the Sylva area to the south, Blackrock Mountain (near Yellow Face), and Campbell Lick, which overlooks Maggie Valley. The

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is America's longest linear park, runs for through 29 Virginia and North Carolina counties, linking Shenan ...

traverses the slopes of the highest mountains in the Plott Balsam Range, connecting Soco Gap and Balsam Gap. A short road connects the parkway to an overlook and a National Park Service visitor contact station and bookstore near the summit of Waterrock Knob. The

Nantahala National Forest The Nantahala National Forest ( /ˌnæntəˈheɪlə/), is the largest of the four national forests in North Carolina, lying in the mountains and valleys of western North Carolina. The Nantahala is the second wettest region in the country, after the ...

protects much of the south side of the Plott Balsam Range. The Qualla Boundary, which is the reservation for the

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), (Cherokee: ᏣᎳᎩᏱ ᏕᏣᏓᏂᎸᎩ, ''Tsalagiyi Detsadanilvgi'') is a federally recognized Indian Tribe based in Western North Carolina in the United States. They are descended from the smal ...

, includes parts of the range's northwest section along Soco Creek. The city of Sylva maintains a municipal park along Fisher Creek in the southeast section of the range. A memorial dedicated to leukemia victim Lyn Lowry, who died in 1962, is situated atop Lowry's namesake mountain. The memorial includes a cross that is lit up at night, making it visible for miles from the surrounding towns. A stand of

Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, ...

coats the range's upper elevations. The Plott Balsams are named for the Plott family, whose ancestor, (Johannes) George Plott (c. 1733-1815), immigrated to North Carolina in the late 18th century from Germany. The

Plott Hound The Plott Hound is a large scent hound, originally bred for hunting bears. In 1989, the North Carolina General Assembly designated the Plott Hound as the official State Dog. The Plott Hound was first registered with the United Kennel Club in 194 ...

, a breed of hunting dog, is also named for the Plotts.Marcus Simpson, Harold Pratt, ''Birds of the Blue Ridge Mountains'' (University of North Carolina, 1992), p. 182.

References and notes

External links

*
Plott Balsams
— Peakbagger.com

— Carolina Mountain Club site

— SummitPost.org {{North Carolina highest Mountain ranges of North Carolina Landforms of Jackson County, North Carolina Landforms of Haywood County, North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains