Richland Balsam Trail
At A Glance
1.47 mi one-way
Difficulty Rating: 2.31 
Steepness: Some Hills
Tread Condition: Some Obstacles
Lowest Elevation: 6017 ft
Highest Elevation: 6410 ft
Climb Total: 393 ft
Blaze Color: None - see sign posts
Other Map ID: BRP MP 431
Description
This self-guiding nature trail loop (with a short out-and-back section at the beginning) travels through a high elevation, spruce-fir forest that was devastated by a polluted environment and an introduced pest in the late 1980's. See how well the forest is now recovering - or is it?
The trail features numbered sign posts that correspond with the printed guides which will probably be out-of-stock at the beginning of the trail. The high-elevation, moss-covered and fir-covered slopes of Richland Balsam make for a pleasant hike, especially in the warmer months when the cooler temperatures will be appreciated.
The trail passes right over the summit of Richland Balsam Mountain, where there is a huge sign marking the top and a sittin' bench.
Some sections are easy and carpeted with soft needles; others are muddy and slick and there are quite a few very rocky sections to contend with, so it's a wee bit more than just a basic leg-stretcher.
This trail is located in the Blue Ridge Parkway Section 6 area. For a list of all the trails in that area, see the Blue Ridge Parkway Section 6 trails list page.
All Photos from the Trail
GPS Map
Map Information
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Data Formats
KML (Google Earth)
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GPX
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GeoJSON
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About the Map
Copyright
Base Layers
Base layers provided by OpenStreetMap, the US Geological Survey, the US Forest Service, and NC OneMap. Base layer images are subject to the respective copyright policies of their owners. Base layers may not be available at all times due to system maintenance or outages.
WNCOutdoors Base Layer
The WNCOutdoors Base layer is provided by WNCOutdoors.info. It is licensed by Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.
Trail and Marker Overlays
Trail layers and downloadable data are all original works created by WNCOutdoors with guidance from a variety of sources, including ensembles of our own GPS tracks, user contributed GPS tracks, official maps and GIS data from government agencies, and field observations. WNCOutdoors data is made freely available under the Open Database License - you are free to copy and use it for any purpose under the terms of that license (summary).
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Trail Segments
Trails are often made up of several connecting paths which may have different characteristics, allowed uses, and seasons. This trail is divided into multiple segments as follows:
Richland Balsam - Parking to Split
- Allowed Uses: Hiking
- Length: 0.16 mi
Richland Balsam - Split R to Summit
- Allowed Uses: Hiking
- Length: 0.45 mi
Richland Balsam - Split L to Summit
- Allowed Uses: Hiking
- Length: 0.58 mi
Total Calculated Length: 1.19 mi
This value is derived from our underlying map data, and it may not match officially published information.
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