Black Balsam Knob, also known as Black Balsam Bald, is in the

Pisgah National Forest Pisgah National Forest is a National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The Pisgah National Forest is complet ...

southwest of Asheville, North Carolina, near milepost 420 on 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 ...

. It is the second highest mountain in 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 ...

. The Great Balsams are within the

Blue Ridge Mountains The Blue Ridge Mountains are a Physiographic regions of the world, physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. The mountain range is located in the Eastern United States, and extends 550 miles southwest from southern Pennsy ...

, which are part of the

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 ...

. It is the 23rd highest of the 40 mountains in North Carolina over 6000 feet. The top of the mountain is a grassy bald that affords a panoramic view. The origin of grassy balds in southern Haywood county is a result of extensive clear-cut logging and locomotive fires in 1925 and 1942. These fires burned deep down into the mineral-rich topsoil slowing

reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debat ...

or stopping it altogether. Examples of this can also be found on many of its neighboring peaks and ridges. These features contribute to the area's popularity, but foot traffic also causes some ecological damage to the ecosystem. The Art Loeb Trail follows the grassy ridge of Black Balsam Knob. Visible peaks from Black Balsam Knob include: * Shining Rock in the Shining Rock Wilderness (3 miles northeast) * Looking Glass Rock (5 miles southeast) * Cold Mountain (6 miles north) * Mount Pisgah (9.5 miles northeast) *

Mount Mitchell Mount Mitchell, known in Cherokee as Attakulla, is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in mainland eastern North America. It is located near Burnsville in Yancey County, North Carolina in the Black Mountain sub ...

. On exceptionally clear days,

, the highest point in the Eastern United States, is visible 45 miles north east.

Gallery

File:View of summit of Black Balsam Knob.JPG, View of summit of Black Balsam Knob covered by early morning

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season) Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...

haze. File:On summit of Black Balsam Knob.JPG, On summit of Black Balsam Knob during early morning spring haze. File:Shining Rock from Black Balsam Knob.jpg, Shining Rock 3 miles in the distance as seen from Black Balsam Knob. File:Looking Glass Rock from Black Balsam Knob.jpg, Looking Glass Rock 5 miles in the distance as seen from Black Balsam Knob. File:Mount Pisgah from Black Balsam Knob 2007.jpg, Mount Pisgah 9.5 miles in the distance as seen from Black Balsam Knob. File:View from Black Balsam Knob.jpg, View from Black Balsam Knob File:Black Balsam Knob.JPG, Summit of Black Balsam Knob File:Drone Footage Black Balsam Knob NC 4k.webm, Balsam Knob Mountain area aerial footage by a drone. File:Black Balsam Knob Early Spring.jpg, Black Balsam in the Fall File:Black Balsam Knob Autumn.jpg, Black Balsam in late Summer File:Black Balsam Knob Pano.jpg, Panorama in the Fall File:Black Balsam Knob in Autumn.jpg, View at Black Balsam File:Black Balsam Knob Views.jpg, View from the peak of Black Balsam

References

{{North Carolina highest Mountains of North Carolina Southern Sixers Landmarks in North Carolina Protected areas of Haywood County, North Carolina Pisgah National Forest Appalachian balds Mountains of Haywood County, North Carolina Articles containing video clips

Gallery

See also

References