Last updated: November 7, 2021
Place
Richland Balsam Overlook
Quick Facts
Location:
Milepost 431.4
Significance:
Highest Point on the Parkway
Amenities
4 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Parking - Auto, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trash/Litter Receptacles
Take in the expansive views of the Nantahala National Forest from the highest point on the Parkway at Richland Balsam Overlook.
Sitting at 6,053 feet above sea level, Richland Balsam is the highest point along the Blue Ridge Parkway motor road. Named for the red spruce and Fraser fir trees found here, known as the “he-balsam” and “she-balsam” respectively, this area features a forest type that resembles a Canadian wilderness. Since the late 1970s the forest has been affected by the balsam woolly adelgid, an invasive pest that has been killing Fraser fir trees.