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Summit

Plott Balsam

North Carolina

About

Plott Balsam is a summit of 6,095 feet in North Carolina, within the Blue Ridge Parkway and about 3.5 miles from Maggie Valley. Summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from the nearby Newfound Gap weather station show July highs around 74°F and September highs near 68°F, with the summit's higher elevation running cooler than the station's figures. The Plott Balsam Trail starts just 0.3 miles away, and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, Lyn Lowry Trail and Waterrock Knob Trail are all within about 3.2 miles. For an overnight stay, Balsam Mountain Campground sits about 7.6 miles off.

Summit Facts

Summit elevation

6,095 ft

Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).

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Location

Plott Balsam

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, 21 mi away. High / low in °F.

  1. Jan39° high22° low
  2. Feb42° high25° low
  3. Mar49° high30° low
  4. Apr58° high38° low
  5. May66° high47° low
  6. Jun71° high54° low
  7. Jul74° high57° low
  8. Aug72° high56° low
  9. Sep68° high51° low
  10. Oct59° high41° low
  11. Nov50° high32° low
  12. Dec43° high27° low

The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this spot, so expect it to run cooler up here.

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020

Where it is

Nearest town
Maggie Valley, North Carolina · 3.5 mi

Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places

Nearby

Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)

    Plott Balsam — Summit in North Carolina | Roamze