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The Pisgah National Forest covers 512,758 acres of mountainous terrain in the southern Appalachian Mountains, including parts of the Blue Ridge Mountains and Great Balsam Mountains. Elevations reach over 6,000 feet and include some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. Summit elevations include Black Balsam Knob at 6,214 feet, Mount Hardy at 6,110 feet Tennant Mountain at 6,056 feet, and Cold Mountain at 6,030 feet. Mount Mitchell, in Mount Mitchell State Park, is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River and lies just outside the boundary of Pisgah National Forest.

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