This 5.8-mile trail basically links the Appalachian Trail at Tri Corner Knob to the Benton MacKaye Trail at Mount Sterling, two of the longest trails in the park used by multi-day hiking enthusiasts. The Gunter Fork Trail meets Balsam Mountain Trail 0.9 miles from the Benton MacKaye end. For information on the southern part of the trail, see Balsam Mountain Trail (South) in the Cataloochee Area section.