{
  "name": "Balsam Grove",
  "slug": "nc-215-balsam-grove",
  "url": "https://www.bestdrivingroads.com/roads/nc-215-balsam-grove/",
  "summary": "A demanding, lightly-trafficked mountain road that crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway at Beech Gap above 5,300 feet, linking the Lake Logan / Sunburst area near Canton with Rosman through the Pisgah backcountry.",
  "roadNumbers": [
    "NC 215"
  ],
  "location": {
    "country": "United States",
    "region": "North Carolina",
    "start": {
      "name": "Sunburst (near Canton)",
      "lat": 35.374333,
      "lon": -82.940333
    },
    "end": {
      "name": "Balsam Grove",
      "lat": 35.229572,
      "lon": -82.873473
    }
  },
  "measurements": {
    "lengthMiles": 16.8,
    "lengthKm": 27,
    "driveMinutes": 37,
    "corners": 130,
    "hairpins": 1,
    "maxGradientPercent": 11,
    "summitMetres": 1624.4,
    "elevationConfidence": "measured",
    "difficulty": "demanding",
    "tightnessOutOf10": 7
  },
  "timing": {
    "bestSeasons": [
      "spring",
      "summer",
      "autumn"
    ]
  },
  "conditions": {},
  "hazards": [
    "Tight blind switchbacks with no centre line and broken pavement",
    "Damp shaded sections and leaf cover slick after rain",
    "Gravel washed onto the road at hairpins"
  ],
  "scenery": [
    "mountain",
    "forest",
    "gorge"
  ],
  "pointsOfInterest": [
    "Sunburst Falls",
    "Little Wildcat Falls",
    "Pinhook Gap"
  ],
  "geometry": {
    "pointCount": 282
  },
  "attribution": {
    "source": "Routes - bestdrivingroads.com",
    "citation": "Cite with a link to the road page. Stats are measured from the mapped line, not copied from other lists; where elevationConfidence is \"approximate\" the 30 m DEM cannot resolve that line and the elevation figures are indicative.",
    "roadGeometry": "(c) OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL",
    "terms": "Facts are free to cite with attribution; bulk reproduction of the catalogue requires permission (simon@keane.studio)."
  },
  "updated": "2026-07-25"
}