Balsam Mountain Preserve: A Beautiful Mountain Hamlet

Set in a beautiful location, less than 40 minutes west of Asheville, NC, within the 4,400-acre preserve overlooking its golf course and Plott Balsam Mountain Range, Doubletop Village is a mountain hamlet of dining, recreational amenities and residential cottages scheduled to open in summer 2020. The Doubletop Village will become the new heart of the Balsam Mountain Preserve, offering residents a wide range of community gathering spaces and amenities. The community unveiled the model cottage for Doubletop Village in November of 2019.

With a motto of ‘a commitment to nature and so much more,’ Balsam Mountain Preserve is a ‘community within a park. Owners, Ken and Bobbye Bowdon, purchased the community as a passion project with interest in land stewardship and love of the community. With 3,400 acres or 75% of the total land placed into a permanent conservation easement, Balsam is in every sense, a nature preserve.

The community also features a nature center with full-time naturalists and a Birds of Prey program that is run by the Balsam Mountain Trust, a nationally-recognized 501 C (3) non-profit organization. The Balsam Trust was created to promote the responsible stewardship of the natural and cultural resources of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains through education and conservation leadership. Owners are encouraged to donate a percentage of their home sale to the Trust. The developer has mandated that all developer sales generate a percentage for contribution to the Trust.

Additionally, homes built within the community pass through a comprehensive Habitat Review Committee to ensure that they blend in with the mountain setting and are nestled within the tree lines. Rules are also placed on landscaping to prevent the unnecessary removal of trees, and homeowners use indigenous plants in their landscaping. Non-native plants are not permitted other than in pots. 

The community has an 18-hole golf course, a driving range and a pitch and putt par 3 course, a newly designed and renovated fitness and wellness center, swim and tennis complex, an onsite restaurant and gathering place, in addition to 42-miles of hiking trails, Dark Ridge Creek campground, incredible fly fishing, a recently renovated Equestrian Center and much more.

Doubletop Village will feature cottage models available in one- and two- bedroom floorplans; however, Balsam Mountain Preserve features a wide range of properties for buyers to select from. Each Balsam Mountain Preserve home is unique in how it blends with the natural setting. The majority of Balsam homes include spectacular outdoor living spaces with expansive porches that offer different views of the natural setting; whether that is the lush mountain forest, treetop views of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Plott Balsam Range and long-range western views and many homes enjoy beautiful creek sounds.

Balsam Mountain Preserve has an ultimate plan for 354 homes. Currently, the community has 100 homes built and occupied and will welcome 21 turn-key cottages and 12- 2-bedroom Flats in 2 multi-family buildings.  

The Grand Opening of Doubletop Village is scheduled for later this summer. This will include 21 single-family cottages consisting of two-, three- and four-bedroom turnkey offerings designed by Harrison Design, an Atlanta-based architectural firm. The new cottages are currently available for purchase with prices starting in the low $800,000s and ranging up to the low $1 million’s. The Doubletop Village Flats will be available in one- and two- bedroom floor plans and range from $400,000 to $600,000. 

Doubletop Village will feature amenities that offer many community gathering spaces, including the onsite restaurant, The Summit House. Complete with indoor and outdoor dining, a demonstration kitchen, wine tasting room and private dining room, the Summit House offers the perfect place to indulge and celebrate. Across the courtyard, the Mine Tavern will offer casual indoor and outdoor restaurant service. The Village will also include a general store and pro shop, as well as the organic Ruby City Farm and two great lawns for bocce, croquet, badminton, putting green and other sports. Residents can grab chef’s daily prepared gourmet meals to take home as well as staples.

Balsam Mountain Preserve serves as both a primary residence and a second-home community to a variety of people from different ages, backgrounds and professions! The one common thread among all of our residences (both full and part-time) is that they all hold a love for the outdoors, nature and preservation of the land.

This post first appeared on Forbes.com. To see the original, click here.