Balsam Mountain
Highlights: mountain views, summer wildflowers

The Balsam Mountain area is an excellent high elevation escape offering spectacular mountain views and loads of summer wildflowers. To reach the Balsam Mountain area you must leave Great Smoky Mountains National Park briefly and drive the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. The parkway begins midway between Oconaluftee Visitor Center and Cherokee, NC. Exit the parkway near milepost 458 at the turnoff to Balsam Mountain Campground. You will follow the mile-high Heintooga Ridge Road for eight miles to Balsam Mountain Campground (elevation 5,310').

Heintooga Picnic Area and Overlook are one mile beyond the campground. Restrooms are also available here.

From the picnic area, you can either return the way you came of take the one-way Balsam Mountain Road back to Cherokee. The first 18 miles are unpaved but suitable for passenger vehicles (buses, trailers, and motorhomes are prohibited). It takes about an hour to return to Cherokee on this scenic road.

Cosby is an out-of-the-way area of the national park that is a favorite among locals and long-time Smokies visitors. Facilities include a campground that is almost never full and a picnic area that’s spacious and never too crowded.

But the main draw for most people to the Cosby area is hiking. Hen Wallow Falls is a popular day hike, located just 2.1 miles from the Cosby Picnic Area. The 1.4 mile walk to Sutton Ridge Overlook offers spectacular views. It originates from the picnic area also.

For more ambitious hikers, the strenuous, 5.6 mile hike to the Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower is a Smoky Mountain classic. Or try the brutal but beautiful 13-mile Low Gap Trail - Appalachian Trail - Snake Den Trail loop.

Mileage to Cosby Campground:
from Gatlinburg—23
from Townsend—50

In spring, the Greenbrier area of the park is renowned for its wildflowers. The drive to the Ramsey Cascades trailhead provides good wildflower viewing from your car, while the Porters Creek Trail makes a good wildflower walk.

To hike Porters Creek, follow the signs to the trailhead of the same name. Good displays of wildflowers can be seen along the first 1.5 miles of trail. Wildflower displays generally start in March and peak in mid to late April.

Ramsey Cascades is another popular trail in the area with good wildflower viewing opportunities. From the trailhead, it’s 4.0 miles to the cascades, which are the tallest in the Smokies.

Six miles of mostly gravel road follow the river and its tributaries into the upper Greenbrier area. Bicycling is permitted on Greenbrier roads but is prohibited on all trails.

The Greenbrier Picnic Area is open year round.

Trout fishing is open year round. Anglers need either a Tennessee or North Carolina fishing license.

To get to the Greenbrier entrance to the park, take US-321 six miles east of Gatlinburg.

Mileage
from Gatlinburg—6
from Cherokee—41

Heintooga-Round Bottom Road is a 15-mile, one-way, gravel road leading from Balsam Mountain Road to Big Cove Road. It takes one hour to drive. The only access to the area is along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Starting from a mile high, this road descends through the Raven Fork drainage basin. A few small vistas open along exposed ledges. The road travels through lush second growth forest and along cascading streams. Heintooga-Round Bottom Road is an opportunity to experience the Great Smokies' solitude and wilderness. Following Raven Fork's playful waters, the road leads into Cherokee, NC along Big Cove Road.

Rich Mountain Road heads north from Cades Cove over Rich Mountain to Tuckaleechee Cove and Townsend, TN. The 8-mile, one-way, gravel road provides beautiful views of Cades Cove. Many prize-winning photographs come from here. Situated on a dry ridge, an oak-dominated forest lines the roadside. Once outside the Park, the road becomes steep and winding.

The Foothills Parkway skirts the park's northern side. Only three sections are currently open to vehicle traffic. Due to funding and legislative difficulties, the ultimate status of the parkway remains uncertain. The Foothills Parkway's open sections provide beautiful views of the park and surrounding country. Completed sections of the Foothills Parkway are open year-round, weather permitting. Uncompleted sections are open to pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians.
 

Visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park's official online store for books, maps, and guides to the park. Operated by the nonprofit Great Smoky Mountains Association, proceeds generated by purchases at the store are donated to educational, scientific, and historical projects in the park.