North Carolina / Swain County / Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Balsam Mountain Campground

Closed — Closed for the season. The campground typically operates from late May through mid-October but remained closed through the 2025 season due to hurricane damage from fall 2024. Reservations required via Recreation.gov during operating season.

About

Balsam Mountain Campground is the highest elevation developed campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 5,310 feet, offering a peaceful mountain retreat far from the park's busier areas. Accessible via Heintooga Ridge Road off the Blue Ridge Parkway, this intimate campground features approximately 46 sites in a forested setting surrounded by pristine mountain streams and picturesque ranges. The campground's remote location provides access to some of the park's least-crowded trails. The short Flat Creek Nature Trail begins near site 43, offering an easy walk through hardwood forest. More adventurous hikers can tackle the 14-mile Hemphill Bald and Rough Fork loop with outstanding views and old-growth trees. Anglers will find excellent trout fishing along Balsam Mountain and Straight Fork Roads, with fly fishing particularly productive during spring hatches. The high elevation creates comfortable camping conditions even in summer, with daytime temperatures rarely exceeding 70 degrees and nighttime lows dipping into the 50s. Wildlife viewing opportunities abound, with elk commonly spotted in spring and fall. The nearby 14-mile Heintooga Round Bottom Road provides a scenic one-way gravel drive with mountain vistas, though buses, motorhomes, vans over 25 feet, and vehicles towing trailers are prohibited.

Directions

From the north: Take I-40 Exit 20 to Maggie Valley, NC. Follow US-19 south toward Cherokee. Access the Blue Ridge Parkway at Soco Gap and continue south to milepost 458.2, turning right onto Heintooga Ridge Road. Enter the park at Black Camp Gap and continue 9 miles to the campground. From the south: Follow US-441/US-23 north through Cherokee into the park, then access the Blue Ridge Parkway traveling north to milepost 458.2, turning left onto Heintooga Ridge Road.

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