We were on our way to visit some friends when we decided to stop at Balsam Lake on our way. The last several times I had been by the lake it had been empty, but this time it was back to full again. It is such a peaceful lake, and it reminds me of the high alpine lakes of the Rockies.
In the summer, this would be a great place for a picnic, but today we just took the brief Malonee trail around the back of the lake to the dam. Despite the warmer weather, there was still a lot of ice on the lake.
There are three fishing piers you can stop at along the way, and at the end there is a causeway that runs across the top of the dam. It is blocked in the middle, so we could not cross. But it does provide a nice view of the water spilling over the dam.
Across Balsam Lake, we could see the Balsam Lake Lodge. It was built in the ’50s by the Mead Corporation, but it has been owned by the Forestry Service since 1982. It can be rented for events and camping.
Balsam Lake is located on Charley’s Creek Road between Hwy 281 and 215. It is actually not far from the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Forest Service has directions from multiple points of origin.