Buckhorn Bald
About
Buckhorn Bald is a summit of 4,870 feet in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, about 7.6 miles from Bryson City. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Newfound Gap weather station, at a similar elevation, show July highs around 74°F and September highs near 68°F with lows around 51°F. Winters there are cold, with January highs near 39°F. Several trails start close by. Forney Creek Trail is about a mile away and Forney Ridge Trail about 1.4 miles. Kuwohi Trail is roughly 2.4 miles off. For an overnight stay, Tsali Campground is about 9.2 miles away.
Summit Facts
Summit elevation
4,870 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Buckhorn Bald
North Carolina
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 66–74°F and lows of 47–57°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Newfound Gap, TN weather station, 7.5 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan39° high22° low
- Feb42° high25° low
- Mar49° high30° low
- Apr58° high38° low
- May66° high47° low
- Jun71° high54° low
- Jul74° high57° low
- Aug72° high56° low
- Sep68° high51° low
- Oct59° high41° low
- Nov50° high32° low
- Dec43° high27° low
Where it is
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park · National Park Service
- Nearest town
- Bryson City, North Carolina · 7.6 mi
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Great Smoky Mountains National Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Weather Alert
Park Closure · posted Oct 9, 2026
Most visitors need a parking tag
Information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Straight Fork and the one-way section of Balsam Mountain Road closed.
Park Closure · posted Aug 24, 2026
Park Headquarters Road is closed
Park Closure · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
Forney Creek TrailHikingPhoto: Bas van Oorschot, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.1 mi- Forney Ridge TrailHikingPhoto: Bas van Oorschot, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.4 mi
- Kuwohi TrailHiking2.4 mi
- Fontana LakeLake fishing8.6 mi
- Tsali CampgroundCamping9.2 mi
- Spence CabinCamping9.7 mi
- Appalachian ClubhouseCamping9.8 mi
- Little RiverRiver fishing9.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Is Buckhorn Bald open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It doesn't name Buckhorn Bald, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Cherokee Orchard Road closed to pedestrian traffic
Park closure covering Great Smoky Mountains National Park · NPS · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Straight Fork and the one-way section of Balsam Mountain Road closed.
Park closure covering Great Smoky Mountains National Park · NPS · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Park Headquarters Road is closed
Park closure covering Great Smoky Mountains National Park · NPS · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
As of · Source: NPS · Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Best time to visit Buckhorn Bald
Best months: September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
39° / 22°
13 wet
Feb
42° / 25°
12 wet
Mar
49° / 30°
13 wet
Apr
58° / 38°
13 wet
May
66° / 47°
15 wet
Jun
71° / 54°
16 wet
Jul
74° / 57°
16 wet
Aug
72° / 56°
14 wet
Sep
68° / 51°
11 wet
Oct
59° / 41°
10 wet
Nov
50° / 32°
10 wet
Dec
43° / 27°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Newfound Gap, TN, 7.5 mi away at 5,040 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
