Richland Balsam Overlook

Richland Balsam Overlook sits along the Blue Ridge Parkway at 6,045 feet, facing south, with terrain dropping 539 feet within 600 meters of the viewpoint. The area is named for the red spruce and Fraser fir trees found here, referred to locally as "he-balsam" and "she-balsam," and the forest resembles a Canadian wilderness type. Since the late 1970s, the balsam woolly adelgid, an invasive pest, has affected the Fraser fir trees in this forest. From the overlook, Cowee Mountains Overlook is visible to the south-southeast at 0.6 miles and 5,995 feet elevation, and Reinhart Knob rises to the southeast at 1.2 miles and 6,103 feet. The overlook is part of the Nantahala National Forest area. Asheville lies 29.6 miles to the east-northeast, Easley is 43.7 miles south-southeast, and Greenville is 48.7 miles southeast. Lone Bald Overlook precedes this stop on the Parkway, and Richland Balsam Overlook - Highest Point on the Parkway follows. Visitors should check current conditions before arriving.