Balsam Gap (el. ) is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...

between the Plott Balsam Range to the northwest and the

Great Balsam Mountains The Great Balsam Mountains, or Balsam Mountains, are in the Western North Carolina, mountain region of western North Carolina, United States. The Great Balsams are a subrange of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which in turn are a part of the Appalachi ...

to the southeast on the county line dividing Haywood and

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. The gap allows both the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway and the former Murphy Branch of the Southern Railway, now owned by Blue Ridge Southern Railroad,Kansas company buys railroad lines in Jackson County, WNC
''The Sylva Herald'' (retrieved 14 September 2015) to cross between the two counties running east–west. The

Blue Ridge Parkway The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and National Scenic Byway, All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty. The parkway, which is the longest linear park in the U.S., runs for through 29 counties in Virginia and ...

also runs through the gap in a north–south direction crossing both the expressway and railway branch. The gap is named for the Great Balsam Mountains in which it lies. The small, unincorporated communities of

Balsam Balsam is the resinous exudate (or sap) which forms on certain kinds of trees and shrubs. Balsam (from Latin ''balsamum'' "gum of the balsam tree," ultimately from a Semitic source such as ) owes its name to the biblical Balm of Gilead. Ch ...

in Jackson County and Saunook in Haywood County are also located close by.

References

Landforms of Haywood County, North Carolina Landforms of Jackson County, North Carolina Mountain passes of North Carolina Transportation in Haywood County, North Carolina Transportation in Jackson County, North Carolina Blue Ridge Parkway U.S. Route 23 U.S. Route 74 {{JacksonCountyNC-geo-stub