Balsam, North Carolina

Balsam is an unincorporated community in Jackson County, North Carolina, United States. Named after the Balsam Mountains, it is home of the highest standard-gauge railroad east of the Rocky Mountains, at 3,315 feet (1,010 m).

Balsam, North Carolina
Unincorporated community
View from the Balsam Mountain Inn
Balsam, North Carolina
Balsam, North Carolina
Coordinates: 35.42680°N 83.08530°W / 35.42680; -83.08530
CountryUnited States
StateNorth Carolina
CountyJackson
Incorporated1951 (inactive)
Named forBalsam Mountains
Area
  Land3.2 sq mi (8 km2)
  Water0.0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation
3,304 ft (1,007 m)
Population
 (2000)
  Total49
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
28707
FIPS code828
GNIS feature ID1018943

The community is located near Balsam Gap, a mountain pass between the Great Balsam Mountains and the Plott Balsams, two of the highest ranges in the Appalachian Mountains. The town and ranges are named after the nicknames of the red spruce and Fraser fir ("he-balsam" and "she-balsam," respectively), which are the dominant tree types at the highest elevations in the Southern Appalachian mountains.

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