This is a fun offroad trail not far from Gatlinburg TN and the North Carolina border. 

You don't really need a 4WD vehicle, but we drove our Jeep Wrangler. 

This is one of the water crossings on Balsam Mountain Road.

Balsam Mountain & Heintooga Ridge Road is accessed from the Blue Ridge Parkway near milemarker 458. 

TIP: First, follow Heintooga Ridge Road for 9 miles (paved) to a picnic area that's 1 mile past the campground. Then, continue on the one-way gravel road for 1 hour before arriving in Cherokee, North Carolina.