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loop to the top in either direction with the option to the right offering a quicker, but more challenging route to the top. Both routes take about 45 minutes to complete and involve roughly 700 feet of elevation gain. The highest point of the mountain is slightly east off the trail about 0.8 miles along the trail, but the sign marking the summit is slightly down the trail and technically an incorrect marker of the peak.
297:, and the vast majority have historical ranges native to the mountain. Due to the protected lands on either side of the Mountain, seeing birds and mammals is not unusual. While the surrounding protected areas offer better wildlife recreation, the mountain provides a high view of the surrounding wilderness, which can be advantageous for bird or animal watching.
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Due to the winding nature of the roadway and the increased severity of winter weather due to the elevation, the section of the Blue Ridge
Parkway that passes over Richland Balsam is frequently closed for long periods during the winter season.The Mountain is only accessible when the Blue Ridge Parkway
256:
The trail is maintained by the
Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway the Balsam Chapter which helps maintain the parkway from mile marker 416 to mile marker 469. While the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway has been an organization since 1988, the Balsam Chapter was not founded until November 2020. The
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infestation. Spruce-fir forests are found in the highest elevations of
Southern Appalachia due their ability to survive in climates that are too cold and harsh for the hardwood forests which dominate lower elevations. Southern spruce-fir ecosystems resemble ecosystems more commonly found in the
252:
There is a low difficulty, 1.5 mile long trail that can be hiked to reach the summit of
Richland Balsam, accessible from a parking area off the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail begins at the north end of the parking lot and about 0.15 miles along the trail there is a fork which allows you to take the
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There is no designated camping areas directly attached to the
Haywood-Jackson Overlook. However, camping is permitted in the Pisgah National forest to the east of the mountain and to the west of the mountain in
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is open, so the mountain is often inaccessible in winter. The trail and overlook is maintained by the
Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a nonprofit mostly composed of residents along the parkway.
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reaches an elevation of 6,053 feet (1,845 m)—the parkway's highest point—as it passes over
Richland Balsam's southwestern slope. The
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182:. Rising to an elevation of 6,410 feet (1,950 m), it is the highest mountain in the Great Balsam range, is among the 20 highest summits in the
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Richland Balsam's upper elevations (above approximately 5,500 feet) support part of one of just ten stands of
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Friends of the Blue Ridge
Parkway compose of about 750 volunteers and 1,500 paying members.
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591:"Richland Balsam : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost"
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209:. This forest type consists of two dominant tree types—the
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This forest type consists of two dominant tree types— the
30:
Richland Balsam viewed from the
Steestachee Bald Overlook
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The eastern half of
Richland Balsam is protected by the
248:
Sign incorrectly marking summit along the hiking trail
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There are 121 mammals native and 475 birds native to
228:, and most of the western half is protected by the
1538:Protected areas of Haywood County, North Carolina
1533:Protected areas of Jackson County, North Carolina
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1145:Rich Mountain, near Boone, Watauga County - 1)
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624:South Beyond 6000 in the Great Balsam Mountains
1394:The 20 highest major summits of North Carolina
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645:
1558:Mountains of Haywood County, North Carolina
1553:Landforms of Jackson County, North Carolina
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1371:
652:
638:
1025:North Carolina-Tennessee-Virginia Corners
357:United States Department of the Interior
290:than in the Southeastern United States.
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765:Chestnut Mountain (Transylvania County)
186:, and is the ninth highest peak in the
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207:Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest
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461:"Richland Balsam, Blue Ridge Parkway"
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202:line crosses the mountain's summit.
1076:Chestnut Mountain (Caldwell County)
437:. Blue Ridge National Heritage Area
348:Geographic Names Information System
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320:List of mountains in North Carolina
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544:Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway
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380:"Richland Balsam, North Carolina"
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353:United States Geological Survey
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511:Weir, Luke (17 January 2020).
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1:
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626:— Carolina Hiking Club
46:6,405 ft (1,952 m)
7:
1523:Mountains of North Carolina
661:Mountains of North Carolina
564:"Species in North Carolina"
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168:Mountain in North Carolina
56:3,010 ft (920 m)
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465:www.romanticasheville.com
308:Nantahala National Forest
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1332:Standing Indian Mountain
1126:Little Chestnut Mountain
934:North Eaglenest Mountain
84:35.3671315°N 8.9900864°W
967:Little Yellow Mountain
795:Great Craggy Mountains
752:Great Balsam Mountains
620:— SummitPost.org
488:"Richland Balsam Hike"
407:"Richland Balsam Hike"
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226:Pisgah National Forest
176:Great Balsam Mountains
131:Great Balsam Mountains
89:35.3671315; -8.9900864
813:Great Smoky Mountains
279:balsam woolly adelgid
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234:National Park Service
219:balsam woolly adelgid
188:Eastern United States
178:in the U.S. state of
174:is a mountain in the
1491:Winter Star Mountain
1317:Occoneechee Mountain
1272:Cane Creek Mountains
1166:Spanish Oak Mountain
1111:Grandmother Mountain
1106:Grandfather Mountain
906:Thunderhead Mountain
803:Beaucatcher Mountain
669:Blue Ridge Mountains
492:www.hikingupward.com
411:www.hikingupward.com
117:North Carolina, U.S.
1210:Sauratown Mountains
1096:Fire Scale Mountain
957:Big Yellow Mountain
80: /
1543:Blue Ridge Parkway
1352:Whiteside Mountain
1292:Looking Glass Rock
1282:Devil's Courthouse
1233:Uwharrie Mountains
1186:Three Top Mountain
1161:Sassafras Mountain
1155:Rich Mountain Bald
1149:(SSW of Boone) 2)
929:Eaglenest Mountain
595:www.summitpost.org
568:www.ncwildlife.org
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192:Blue Ridge Parkway
162:short hiking trail
36:Highest point
1548:Appalachian balds
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1486:Black Balsam Knob
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1337:Terrells Mountain
1302:McAlpine Mountain
1297:Mayfield Mountain
1277:Crowders Mountain
1267:Big Butt Mountain
1241:Caraway Mountains
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1153:(NW of Boone) 3)
1121:Humpback Mountain
1086:Doe Hill Mountain
1061:Bluerock Mountain
990:Bob Stratton Bald
962:Grassy Ridge Bald
760:Black Balsam Knob
737:Hibriten Mountain
435:"Richland Balsam"
343:"Richland Balsam"
184:Appalachian range
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157:Easiest route
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1218:Moore's Knob
1196:Woody's Knob
1191:Tomkins Knob
1131:Mount Pisgah
1051:Bee Mountain
901:Spence Field
836:Gregory Bald
821:Andrews Bald
785:Tanasee Bald
780:Shining Rock
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598:. Retrieved
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571:. Retrieved
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383:
360:. Retrieved
346:
304:
292:
268:
259:
255:
251:
223:
204:
171:
170:
125:Parent range
1476:Luftee Knob
1426:Balsam Cone
1421:Mount Guyot
1411:Mount Craig
1347:Wesser Bald
1116:Howard Knob
1002:Hooper Bald
949:Unaka Range
896:Silers Bald
861:Mount Guyot
714:Mount Craig
87: /
62:Coordinates
1517:Categories
1501:Marks Knob
1342:Wayah Bald
1181:Table Rock
1066:Brier Knob
1046:Bear's Paw
891:Shuckstack
841:Marks Knob
742:Pores Knob
600:2021-03-10
573:2021-04-16
549:2021-03-10
540:"About Us"
522:2021-03-05
497:2021-03-05
470:2021-03-05
441:2019-08-05
417:2021-03-01
389:2019-08-05
362:2024-04-25
326:References
275:Fraser fir
271:red spruce
215:Fraser fir
211:red spruce
115:counties,
72:35°22′02″N
52:Prominence
1451:Celo Knob
1446:Old Black
886:Old Black
709:Celo Knob
691:Max Patch
282:northern
100:Geography
75:8°59′24″W
42:Elevation
1091:Elk Knob
995:Haw Knob
686:Big Bald
314:See also
273:and the
213:and the
150:Climbing
145:Sam Knob
138:Topo map
105:Location
301:Camping
190:. The
113:Jackson
109:Haywood
1416:Kuwohi
1255:Others
1034:Others
831:Kuwohi
413:. 2021
288:Canada
240:Hiking
286:and
143:USGS
236:).
1519::
593:.
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198:-
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