Please join us for a Balsam Mountain Preserve "Discovery Visit" to experience for yourself the most authentic and family focused Club community in the mountains of western North Carolina. Discovery Package Details
The lowest density private Club community in the mountains of Western North Carolina, Balsam Mountain Preserve offers a way of life that is authentic, family focused, and conservation centered.
Only 354 homesites will nestle into this 4,400-acre private community, an average of one home for every 12 acres. Created with a commitment to preserve its natural surroundings, 3,000 acres, or 68% of the community, has been placed in a permanent conservation easement, ensuring it will never be developed and will always remain for future generations in its present park-like state. Every homesite touches a portion of the 3,000 acre Preserve, offering a level of privacy and seclusion that residents in other communities can only imagine.
Even more impressive, the non-profit Balsam Mountain Trust, with three full-time naturalists located on the Preserve, manages and cares for the 3,000 acres of protected land. The naturalists also offer multi-generational programming for residents, such as guided nature hikes, fly fishing expeditions, and summer kids camps.
In addition to all the wonders of nature, Club Members enjoy a nationally acclaimed Arnold Palmer Signature golf course, an Equestrian Center, a heated junior Olympic pool, soft surface tennis courts, a fitness center, fine dining, 34 miles of private trails, 38 miles of streams (including a Class ” A” North Carolina trout stream for fishing), a private family campground, and a 24 hour staffed gatehouse.
The selection of real estate offerings include dramatic mountain view homesites with elevations up to 4,700 feet, a special collection of Featured Builder and private resale homes, and a very unique Residence Club ownership opportunity that is available to only 40 families.
Balsam Mountain Preserve is located just off the Great Smoky Mountain Expressway, affording residents quick and easy access to the charming “main street” mountain towns of Sylva and Waynesville. Grocery stores, movie theaters, hospitals, and fine dining are all just ten to fifteen minutes from the main gatehouse. Asheville, renowned for its cultural and entertainment scene, is less than 40 highway minutes away. The Asheville Regional Airport is 45 highway minutes from the Preserve, offering daily non-stop flights to Houston, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Newark, and several other destinations.
"A community within a park, not a park within a community."
Acreage: 4,400 acres (1,760 hectares)
Gatehouse: 24-hour gatehouse manned by a dedicated team of security professionals.
Golf: An 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature course offers dramatic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains at elevations reaching upwards of 3,700 feet. The bent grass tees, fairways, and greens are meticulously maintained, and the Practice Park features multi-level tee surfaces and a short game area. Both Links Magazine and T & L Golf Magazine recently recognized Balsam Mountain Preserve as one of the top amenity communities in the United States.
Private Trails: 34 miles of hiking, mountain biking and equestrian trails on the Preserve.
Fishing: 38 miles of streams on the Preserve with notable clean water quality and unique fish habitats. Dark Ridge Creek, a Class "A" North Carolina trout stream, is home to the native southern brook trout.
Clubhouse: Designed by Thomas and Denzinger Architects, the main Clubhouse will feature a dining room, lounge, complete pro shop, spa, and men's and ladies locker rooms.
Boarding House Restaurant: A very special community gathering place, the Restaurant features a lounge area, a rustic bar, an intimate library, and a large outdoor covered porch complete with comfortable seating and a stone fireplace. Memorable meals are served by an attentive staff, and dramatic sunset views are enjoyed nightly.
Boarding House Private Residence Club: Inspired by a turn-of-the-century mining village that once called this mountain home; the Residence Club program is a fractional ownership opportunity that is unique to Balsam Mountain Preserve. Owners purchase a deeded interest in ten distinctively designed cabins, located on a majestic ridge at 3,700 feet in elevation. The program is available to just 40 families, and serves as an intelligent "entry point" into the community for families not quite ready to purchase a homestead or completed residence.
Equestrian: The Equestrian Center features a riding arena, stables, and boarding for member's horses. A full-time stable manager offers private lessons for children and adults, and guided trail rides on more than 30 miles of private trails as well as into the adjacent Nantahala National Forest, the southern border of the Preserve.
Ruby Valley Sports Camp: The Sports Camp is a true family destination, offering a heated junior Olympic pool, Har-Tru tennis courts, fitness equipment, and family games including pool, foosball and ping-pong tables, and a large outdoor patio with a fire pit.
Nature Center: Home of the Balsam Mountain Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to the history and preservation of the area. The Trust employs three full-time naturalists, which manage and care for the 3,000 acres of protected land on the Preserve. The naturalists also offer multi-generational nature, cultural, and environmental programming for residents at a level unmatched by any community in the Southeast.
Dark Ridge Camp: A special place for family camping, or a destination for a day-long horseback ride from the community's stables. Dark Ridge Camp includes a covered pavilion with a large outdoor grill, two enclosed bunkhouses, multiple tent sites, a horse paddock, hiking trails, hot showers, and flush toilets. A water wheel provides power to generate electricity for the pavilion and grounds, an example of sustainable development principles.
Location: Just minutes from Sylva and Waynesville, health care, grocery stores, restaurants, and art attractions are all easily accessible. Asheville, renowned for its cultural and entertainment scene, is less than 40 highway minutes away. The Asheville Regional Airport is about 45 highway minutes from the Preserve, with daily non-stop flights to Houston, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Newark, and several other destinations.
Developer: Chaffin Light Associates, long renowned as the pioneers of environmentally sensitive low density community development.
Real Estate: Homesteads average 1.5 to 2 acres, and all border part of the 3,000 acres of protected conservation land for added privacy and seclusion. Elevations range from 3,000 to 4,700 feet. Dramatic mountain view homesteads start in the $300,000's. A share in the Private Residence Club is $250,000, and includes eight weeks of occupancy plus full membership privileges while in residence.
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