Balsam Mountain Preserve is designed as a "community within a park". 3,000 of its 4,400 acres are permanently protected from development by conservation easements, and with only 354 homes, Balsam Mountain Preserve is far and away the lowest density Club community in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Jim Chaffin and Jim Light, internationally renowned for their environmentally sensitive development principals, have created an authentic and family oriented mountain community in a sought-after, natural environment. Amenities include a spectacular Arnold Palmer Signature golf course, a rustic Equestrian Center, The Ruby Valley Sports Camp for swim, tennis, and fitness, The Boarding House Lodge and Restaurant, a Nature Center with three onsite naturalists, 38 miles of fishing streams, and 34 miles of private hiking trails. Dramatic view homesites start from the $300,000's and custom homes are priced from $1.2 million.