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Chimney Rock State Park
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Division of NC Parks and Recreation Seeks Public Input on Wilderness Gateway State Trail Plan

Sunday, January 12, 2020

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The Division of Parks and Recreation is seeking public input on the Wilderness Gateway State Trail plan. When finalized, it will guide project stakeholders as they refine the planned corridor and build the trail.

The trail will connect Chimney Rock State Park to locations in Catawba County as well as the Overmountain Victory State Trail, the Town of Valdese, and South Mountain game lands and state park. When complete, the trail will traverse Rutherford, McDowell, Burke and Catawba counties.

The plan is being developed by the division with input from officials from the four counties, major towns in the corridor, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and Conserving Carolinas Land Conservancy, among others. It will identify opportunities, challenges, trail section sponsors and stakeholders along the trail corridor.

Drop-in style open house meetings to receive public input will be held on Jan. 14, 15 and 16 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the following locations:

Jan. 14 
Rutherfordton County Administration Office
289 N. Main St.
Rutherfordton, N.C. 28139

Jan. 15
South Mountains State Park
3001 South Mountains Park Ave
Connelly Springs, N.C. 28612

Jan. 16 
Catawba County Government Center
25 Government Drive
Newton, N.C. 28658

Members of the public are encouraged to attend and can expect to spend about 20 minutes to review, discuss, and comment on the planned trail corridor.

If inclement weather is anticipated for any of the meetings, a weather-related notice will be posted on the Wilderness Gateway State Trail planning webpage at https://trails.nc.gov/state-trails/wilderness-gateway-state-trail.



Jeff
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Chimney Rock State Park primary visitor area to close for road repair project

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

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The Chimney Rock Access at Chimney Rock State Park will be closed beginning today for up to three weeks as repairs are made to the main entrance road, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.

This closure affects the Chimney Rock spire and its elevator access, the Outcroppings Trail and all other visitor facilities in the vicinity.

In May, a 75-foot section in one lane of the road collapsed during a period of heavy rainfall. A contractor will be replacing a retaining wall that supports the section of roadway near the park entrance. After a 21-day construction period, single-lane access to the park will be available as road repair continues.

Throughout the period, the park’s Rumbling Bald Climbing Access will remain open.

For more information, contact the park office at 828-625-1823.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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The Annual Hawk Migration / Flock to the Rock

Thursday, August 29, 2013

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The first cold front of the year usually passes through the Smoky Mountains during the early-to-mid September time period. As the weather patterns change to cooler temperatures, Broad-winged hawks begin to make their annual migration down the Appalachian Mountain range to winter in the neo-tropics of Mexico, to as far south as Southern Brazil. For bird enthusiasts, this provides an excellent opportunity to watch the buteos as they kettle-up over the ridges and glide from one thermal to the next.

The Broad-wings are one of the first species to begin their southern migration. Flocks or “kettles” can be quite large. You may even see a few Cooper’s, Northern Harriers and Sharp-shinned hawks joining in as well.

Some of the best vantage points in the Smokies to watch the migrations are at the higher elevations of the park, such as Newfound Gap, Clingmans Dome, Look Rock, or Indian Gap.

Hawk enthusiasts also have the option of attending the "Flock to the Rock" event at Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina. Already in its 5th year, Flock to the Rock is billed as the region’s premier fall migration birding event. The weekend of September 21st and 22nd includes bird walks guided by local experts, family nature walks, as well as workshops ranging from bird photography to hummingbirds. For more information, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Record-level visits to North Carolina State Parks continued in 2012

Saturday, February 16, 2013

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Earlier in the week the N.C Division of Parks and Recreation announced that visitation at North Carolina’s state parks and state recreation areas continued at a record level in 2012, with 14.2 million visits, matching attendance levels set in 2009 and 2011.

Among 41 state parks and state recreation areas, 18 reported increases in attendance in 2012. Fort Macon State Park in Carteret County reported the highest attendance at 1.24 million visits, down slightly from 1.29 million last year.

“Continued record attendance demonstrates that our state parks and state recreation areas fulfill a desire of North Carolinians and their visitors for affordable family recreation and a meaningful outdoor experience,” said Lewis Ledford, state parks director. “A direct result of this high visitation is the strong contributions that state parks make to North Carolina’s tourism economy as well as the economies of local communities.”

A 2008 economic study revealed that travelers spend an average $23.56 a day to enjoy the state parks. The analysis by North Carolina State University’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management estimated the state parks system’s total annual economic impact at more than $400 million. The complete study can be found here.

During the past 25 years, the state parks system has seen a dramatic 87 percent increase in visitation. In 1987, 7.6 million people visited state parks and state recreation areas.

Several state parks that reported higher attendance in 2012 were able to offer improvements and new amenities to visitors. A new 7,100-square-foot visitor center and related facilities were dedicated at Gorges State Park, and the park experienced a 22 percent increase in visitation. Improvements in access facilities at Chimney Rock State Park contributed to a 36 percent jump in attendance, while William B. Umstead State Park in Wake County, which improved parking and a popular trailhead area, recorded visitation up 33 percent.

Other parks with significant increases in visitation include Hammocks Beach State Park in Onslow County (57 percent), Haw River State Park in Guilford and Rockingham counties (31 percent), Jordan Lake State Recreation Area in Chatham County (35 percent) and Lake Waccamaw State Park in Columbus County (53 percent).

The state parks system manages more than 217,000 acres within state parks, state recreation areas and a system of state natural areas dedicated to conservation of rare resources. Through its New Parks for a New Century initiative, six new state parks have been added to the system since 2003.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Landslide closes popular trail at Chimney Rock State Park

Monday, November 19, 2012

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A small landslide has closed the Hickory Nut Falls Trail at Chimney Rock State Park for an indefinite period, according to the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation

An overnight rainstorm on November 14th brought down several trees and boulders onto the trail, blocking access and damaging a footbridge. The popular trail leads to the bottom of the 404-foot-high waterfall.

Damage assessments continue, but the trail could be closed for several weeks. The park’s lower, winter admission rates of $10 for adults and $6 for youth will go into effect immediately.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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Outdoor Viewing of The Last of the Mohicans at Chimney Rock

Monday, May 28, 2012

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This year is 20th anniversary of the release of the epic adventure film, The Last of the Mohicans. In celebration of the film starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Chimney Rock State Park will offer an outdoor viewing of the film next month - on location where many of the scenes were actually filmed.

Marvel at the beauty of the Hickory Nut Gorge's towering rock cliffs, lush landscape and 404-foot waterfall on the big screen while the scenery surrounds you! Pre-show entertainment will be provided. The movie will start around 8:55 P.M. on June 16th. $5 parking per car, or free parking with receipt for same-day paid Park admission. Advance discounted parking for $3 available at Ingles in Lake Lure, NC.

Come early to sign up for guided hikes (first-come, first-serve, limit 15) held at 3:30 and 5:00 P.M. to see several filming locations.

For more information, please click here.


Jeff
Hiking Trails in the Smokies
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Outcroppings Trail Finally Reopened

Thursday, April 26, 2012

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Earlier this week Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina announced that the Outcroppings Trail is now open. After four months of challenging construction, the Outcroppings Trail reopened on April 14. The trail, rebuilt over the winter, offers new stunning views of the Park, increased capacity and improved comfort with more places to rest. The reopening of the Outcroppings Trail, which leads from the upper parking lot to the Chimney stairs, restores hiking access to the Chimney, the Opera Box, Devil’s Head and Skyline Trail to Exclamation Point, the highest point in the Park. The upgrade preserves access to the Park’s iconic centerpiece for generations while improving the guest experience. Landings are placed every 12 vertical feet of climb to facilitate rest stops, and the new six-foot-wide stairways, which increase capacity, have a gentler incline to make it physically easier for guests to hike to the Chimney.

The modernized elevator and Sky Lounge Gift Shop & Deli are expected to reopen sometime later this spring (i.e. May or June). Originally opened in 1949, the Park’s 26-story elevator is nearing its completion on an extensive modernization project. Almost every part including the original elevator car is being upgraded or replaced. The Sky Lounge Gift Shop & Deli has been renovated to make its restrooms wheelchair accessible, and it will offer improved retail and food selections.

Reduced admission rates as of April 14 will be $12/adult, $5/youth (ages 6-15) and free for kids under 6.

To see more photos of the Outcroppings Trail Reopening Day, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Survival Skills Workshop at Chimney Rock State Park

Thursday, August 4, 2011

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Next Saturday is the final part in the Survival Skills Workshop at Chimney Rock State Park.

In this workshop participants will learn “Basic Wilderness First Aid”, including how to treat victims of hypothermia or heat exhaustion, among other subjects. The workshop will be lead by naturalist Clint Calhoun.

The date for the workshop is August 13th from 9am - noon.

Cost: $25 for Adults, $20 for Annual Passholders individually (includes Park admission for the day).

Click here to register online.





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Restored Outcroppings Trail at Chimney Rock State Park now open

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

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Late last week Chimney Rock State Park reopened the Outcroppings Trail, a trail that leads from the upper parking lot to the Chimney stairs. The reopening restores access to Chimney Rock and all the natural features above it, including Devil’s Head, the Opera Box and the Skyline Trail to Exclamation Point — the highest peak in the Park at 2,480 feet. The Outcroppings Trail’s upper staircase reconstruction is one of two major capital improvement projects designed to improve Chimney Rock’s accessibility and upgrade some of the Park’s most popular trails to ensure public enjoyment for years to come.

The new Outcroppings staircase allows for two-way traffic, can accommodate more guests and offers safer, easier egress from the Chimney area.

Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park’s other major capital improvement project now in progress is the complete modernization of the Park’s elevator. The original elevator came into service in 1948 – 63 years ago – and although it was fully renovated in the mid-80s, it is due for this improvement. Nearly every part, including the elevator car, will be upgraded or replaced to increase reliability, speed and capacity, and to preserve access to the Chimney for everyone, including guests who are unable to hike the Outcroppings Trail. During this time, the Sky Lounge Gift Shop & Deli will be completely renovated. Both projects are scheduled to be finished by the end of 2011.





Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Chimney Rock State Park trail closures

Monday, November 22, 2010

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Last week Chimney Rock State Park in Western North Carolina announced a series of capital improvements that will impact some of the hiking trails over the winter. On December 1st, the park will begin construction to improve accessibility and upgrade some of the trails at the higher elevations in the park.

Over the winter, a section of the Outcroppings, the trail that leads from the parking lot to the Chimney area, will be replaced providing easier access to the Chimney and points of interest above like the Opera Box, Devil’s Head and Exclamation Point. The section to be replaced is just below the Chimney and currently allows for only one-way traffic. After construction, the new trail and stairway will accommodate more guests and offer better egress from the Chimney area. Without a required secondary egress, the elevator will be out of service during Outcroppings construction making the Chimney inaccessible over the winter.

Areas of the park that remain accessible throughout improvements include: Hickory Nut Falls trail, Cliff Dwellers Gifts and Meadows area including the Great Woodland Adventure, Four Seasons trail, Grady’s Animal Discovery Den, Classroom on the Meadows and the covered picnic pavilion. Chimney Rock is also planning a variety of programs and events to enhance guest experience during improvements.

After this project is complete in early spring, the park’s 26-story elevator will be modernized, increasing reliability, speed and capacity, and the Sky Lounge facility will be renovated. Access by trail to the top of the mountain including the Chimney will return at this time.

You should also note that the Cliff Trail to the top of Hickory Nut Falls is also currently closed for improvements.

Chimney Rock park plans to reduce admission fees during improvements.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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Chimney Rock State Park seeks input on Master Plan

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

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As part of the process to create a master plan for Chimney Rock State Park in the Hickory Nut Gorge, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation will conduct a public planning session on May 26 at the Lake Lure Town Hall. Citizens are invited to visit the drop-in session anytime from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Proposed design alternatives for the state park will be presented and the public will be able to ask questions and offer comments to officials of the state parks system and Greenways Inc., a Durham-based environmental planning and landscape architecture firm responsible for completing the plan.

“Creating a world class state park at Chimney Rock has been and continues to be a partnership effort between the state parks system and the community,” said Lewis Ledford, division director. “Chimney Rock State Park has benefited from strong support in the community, and it’s important that citizens continue to be involved in the process.”

A state park’s master plan is essentially a blueprint for long-term development of facilities and recreation opportunities and a guide for protection of natural resources. It is meant to be an organic document, evolving as the park grows and as knowledge is gained about a park’s natural resources and public use.

The master plan could help the agency decide how the attraction will be operated, if the fee will remain and if trails will be built through the backcountry.

It could also help decide if the popular Skyline-Cliff Loop trail leading up to the top of Hickory Nut Falls will reopen. The trail was closed two years ago after a 2-year-old boy fell to his death on the trail, which is comprised of man-made structures to navigate the sheer rock faces.

The master plan will also guide land acquisition - Chimney Rock could grow by another 2,000-4,000 acres.

The N.C. General Assembly authorized Chimney Rock State Park in 2005, and more than 4,300 acres in Rutherford, Polk, Henderson and Buncombe counties has been acquired in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and others. In 2007, the former Chimney Rock tourist destination was added to the park and offers the principal current public access.

The drop-in planning session will involve a workstation format allowing citizens to attend at any time during the day and spend as much time as necessary to review and discuss design alternatives. Proposed designs will also be available beginning May 26 at www.greenways.com/chimneyrock.

Written comments may be submitted through June 23 either by using an online comment sheet or by mail to: General Management Plan Coordinator, NC Division of Parks and Recreation, 1615 MSC, Raleigh, NC 27699-1615.

For general information on the park, including hiking information, please click here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
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Chimney Rock State Park Wildflower Walk

Friday, April 30, 2010

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As part of its Naturalist Series, Chimney Rock State Park will be offering a park-wide Wildflower Walk on May 15th.

In a quest to see the maximum diversity of wildflowers, this program will take place on several trails throughout the park. Be prepared to walk about three miles with frequent stops to study in detail some of the 700+ species of plants known to occur at Chimney Rock.

The program will last from 10am-3pm (lunch break at noon) and will cost $35 for Adults, $30 for Annual Passholders, $25 for ages 6-15, and $15 for Grady’s Kids Club Members (includes Park admission for the day).

For more information and to register, please click here.

For more information on the trails at Chimney Rock State Park, please click here.



Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
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Chimney Rock State Park BOGO Valentine’s Special

Friday, February 12, 2010

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Chimney Rock State Park is offering a sweet deal for Valentine’s Day. Now through Feb. 17, visitors can buy one regularly-priced adult ticket and receive another one for free.

“It’s a fun way for our guests to celebrate Valentine’s Day with that special someone. They can take a romantic walk in the woods, enjoy lunch at the Old Rock and really reconnect with each other,” said Meghan Rogers, public relations and events manager.

Guests must download and present the special coupon at the time of purchase.

Chimney Rock State Park is roughly 25 miles southeast of Asheville, NC, and is nestled in Hickory Nut Gorge adjacent to the towns of Lake Lure and Bat Cave.

Privately owned by the Morse family for more than 100 years, Chimney Rock was acquired by the state of North Carolina in 2007 to become part of a larger state park dubbed Chimney Rock State Park.

Some of the more popular trails in the park include the Hickory Nut Falls Trail, which takes you out to a 404-foot waterfall, one of the highest falls east of the Mississippi River.

There's also Skyline Trail, which visits the highest point in the park, Exclamation Point, at 2480 feet. The vantage point offers dramatic views of Hickory Nut Gorge, which also served as the backdrop for several scenes in the 1992 movie, The Last of the Mohicans.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
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