Black Balsam Knob
Trails North Carolina Black Balsam Knob
North Carolina · Haywood County

Black Balsam Knob

5-mile moderate loop over bald summits with expansive views.

Rating
Length
5.0 mi
Difficulty
5
County
Haywood
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Estimated total time: Varies

Tennent Mountain

Connected to Black Balsam, offering high-elevation bald hiking.

Time not available

Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower

Short 1.6-mile round-trip to a historic fire tower.

Time not available

Mount Pisgah

3-mile round-trip moderate to a summit with observation deck.

Time not available

About This Trail

Reaching the treeless bald summit at 6,214 feet on the Art Loeb Trail, this Pisgah National Forest loop delivers wide-sweeping mountain views near Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 420. Combine Black Balsam Knob with Tennent Mountain for a 5-mile circuit through some of the Southern Appalachians’ finest high-altitude meadows.

Location

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Coordinates: 35.3262, -82.8782
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Getting There

From Brevard, NC, take US-276 north to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Head south on the Parkway to milepost 420.2 and turn onto Black Balsam Road (Forest Road 816). Drive 1.3 miles to the parking area at the end. The trail begins from the lot.

Nearby Trails

Tennent Mountain

Connected to Black Balsam, offering high-elevation bald hiking.

View Trail

Fryingpan Mountain Lookout Tower

Short 1.6-mile round-trip to a historic fire tower.

View Trail

Mount Pisgah

3-mile round-trip moderate to a summit with observation deck.

View Trail

Eastatoe Creek Trail

Hiking trail within Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve

View Trail

Bill Kimball Trail

Connector trail linking key sections in the Jones Gap system.

View Trail
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