Hike Chimney Rock: Chimney Rock is one of the most popular outdoor attractions in North Carolina. With its wide range of outdoor experiences, this is a great family-friendly destination for those seeking the best of the mountains in one place. The Park features five unique hiking trails that range in difficulty from easy to strenuous. The focal point of the park is The Chimney – a towering 315-foot monolith that sits at an elevation of 2,280 feet with its 75-mile views. And don’t miss 404’ Hickory Nut Falls – one of the highest east of the Mississippi.
About Chimney Rock State Park
In 2005, the N.C. General Assembly authorized a new state park in the scenic Hickory Nut Gorge area of western Rutherford and the surrounding counties of Polk, Henderson and Buncombe. Later that year, the first tract of land to form the state park was purchased. Since then many more acres have been added. The most notable was the 2007 transfer of Chimney Rock Park, a private nature park surrounding the striking 315-foot spire on the gorge’s southern side, into the expanding park. The daily services offered to visitors of the Chimney Rock Access of the state park are provided by a private contract managed by the Division of Parks and Recreation. This section is open year round with the exception of Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Entry fees offset the cost of operating this popular tourist destination. Currently, Chimney Rock and the Rumbling Bald Climbing Access are the only public accesses within Chimney Rock State Park. However, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will eventually develop other areas of the state park with facilities and recreation traditionally enjoyed in our Western North Carolina state parks.
The greater Chimney Rock State Park currently encompasses roughly 5,700 acres on both the north and south sides of the gorge and expansion efforts continue to bring more of the gorge’s rich natural resources into conservation. Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park has been a tourist destination in western North Carolina since a simple stairway was built to the rock’s summit in 1885. In 1902, Lucius B. Morse of Missouri bought the site. The Morse family developed park facilities including a tunnel and elevator to the rock summit, nature center and a network of hiking trails to geologic points of interest including the 404-foot-tall Hickory Nut Falls. Please click here to link to the site of Chimney Rock (www.chimneyrockpark.com) to plan your exploration of one of North Carolina’s most unusual natural wonders.
Directions from Asheville: Take I-240 E to Exit 9. Stay on 74A E for 20 miles through the Hickory Nut Gorge. Chimney Rock State Park is on the right in downtown Chimney Rock. (chimneyrockpark.com)
