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Balsam Gap Overlook

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Looking north-west from Balsam Gap Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.

Balsam Gap Overlook sits at 3,629 feet on the Blue Ridge Parkway, facing 330 degrees toward the north-northwest. The terrain drops 338 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway at Balsam Gap lies 0.6 miles to the west at 3,383 feet. Fowler Balsam Mountain rises to the north-northwest at 2.8 miles and 5,428 feet, while Wesner Bald Overlook and Scott Creek Overlook, both parkway viewpoints, are visible to the west-northwest at 2.8 and 3.0 miles, reaching 4,990 and 5,158 feet respectively. Further along the same direction, Oldfield Top reaches 5,791 feet at 3.0 miles northwest, Mount Lyn Lowry reaches 6,229 feet at 3.1 miles northwest, and Plott Balsam reaches 6,081 feet at 3.3 miles north-northwest. Asheville lies 31.0 miles east-northeast, Hendersonville 35.1 miles east-southeast, and Sevierville 40.9 miles northwest. The nearby overlooks along the route are Mt. Lyn Lowry Overlook to the previous stop and Rabb Knob Overlook as the next one.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
3,629 ft
View
Northwest · 330°
Relief
338 ft drop
In view
7 named features
Balsam Mountain Inn, Balsam, NC
Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States · CC0 · source
Balsam Mountain Inn, Balsam, NC
Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States · CC0 · source
Twenty-second night exposure of the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway through Balsam Gap viewed towards northeast from the Blue Ridge Parkway's overpass. There was a full moon on this night obscured by clouds.
Andrew Heneen · CC BY 4.0 · source
500px provided description: Playing with long exposures and flashlights gave me an interesting effect on a Yelloween lily growing in the garden. [#light painting ,#Lily ,#Night photography]
Wes Hill · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
This is the former Knight's Store at Balsam, North Carolina. Located across Balsam Depot Road from the site of the old Balsam Depot, the building was constructed around the turn of the 20th Century, and remained in use until 1979. Today, the building remains abandoned and in an advanced state of dec
Warren LeMay · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
One of the most charming and best preserved of Western North Carolina's historic schoolhouses, the old Balsam Elementary School was built in 1940 and used until 1951. Today, it is used as the Balsam Community Center, but retains its interior fittings and finishes and the overall exterior appearance
Warren LeMay from Cullowhee, NC, United States · CC0 · source

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Entrance to Blueridge Parkway at Balsam Gap3,383 ftwest · 0.6 mi
  • Fowler Balsam Mountain5,428 ftnorth-northwest · 2.8 mi
  • Wesner Bald Overlook (MP 448.1)4,990 ftwest-northwest · 2.8 mi
  • Scott Creek Overlook (MP 448.5)5,158 ftwest-northwest · 3.0 mi
  • Oldfield Top5,791 ftnorthwest · 3.0 mi
  • Mount Lyn Lowry6,229 ftnorthwest · 3.1 mi
  • Plott Balsam6,081 ftnorth-northwest · 3.3 mi

Light

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:3719:4419:11
June solstice06:1820:5120:14
September equinox07:2119:3118:57
December solstice07:3817:2416:45

Local time (America/New_York). Computed for this exact position.

Where it is

  • Asheville31.0 mi east-northeast
  • Hendersonville35.1 mi east-southeast
  • Sevierville40.9 mi northwest
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How high is Balsam Gap Overlook?

Balsam Gap Overlook sits at about 3,629 feet (1,106 m).

What can you see from Balsam Gap Overlook?

From Balsam Gap Overlook: Entrance to Blueridge Parkway at Balsam Gap (W, 0.6 mi); Fowler Balsam Mountain (NNW, 2.8 mi); Wesner Bald Overlook (MP 448.1) (WNW, 2.8 mi); Scott Creek Overlook (MP 448.5) (WNW, 3.0 mi).

What is the nearest town to Balsam Gap Overlook?

Asheville, 31 miles ENE of Balsam Gap Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Balsam Gap Overlook?

Rabb Knob Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Balsam Gap Overlook.

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Balsam Gap Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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