Hiking Trails

When you hike at Balsam Mountain Preserve, it’s an experience much like being in a national forest: quiet and secluded, with a variety of terrain, views, and degrees of difficulty.  Most private communites in western North Carolina have just a few miles of trails.  Here, residents enjoy 34 miles of groomed trails, which are are named and labeled for easy accessibility.  The trails provide one of the best forms of exercise on the Preserve, but they are just as valuable for bird watching and reconnecting with the serenity of nature.  Some of the trails meander into the Nantahala National Forest, a 500,000 acre playground which forms the Preserve's southern border.

Trail lengths range from about one-quarter mile up to four miles. Select an easy trail like Dark Ridge Creek or tackle challenging Doubletop with an elevation gain of about 600 feet, taking you up to 5,500 feet above sea level and showcasing spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges below.  Residents note that the trail system is one of their favorite amenities on the Preserve - walking in deep woods under the tree canopy, watching for chattering ground squirrels, smelling the aroma of the forest botanicals, and admiring the Carolina blue sky through the trees.

The naturalists at the Nature Center offer guided hikes on the Preserve's trail system all year long.  With backgrounds in zoology, ornothology, and botany, the naturalists open the doors of learning for young and old alike on these excursions.  Watch your children's or grandchildren's eyes light up the first time they see a wild turkey or turn over a rock to discover a colorful salamander - memories are made every day in the forest.