Monday, April 29, 2024

Chimney Rock State Park

chimney rock charlotte

Black Mountain sits just off I-40 and is another great base for exploring Chimney Rock State Park. The town features quaint shops, impressive restaurants (including Phil’s Bar-B-Que Pit!), and the lovely Lake Tomahawk. Hendersonville is a great place to visit throughout the year, but don’t miss the annual NC Apple Festival. This is a celebration of the amazing orchards in and around Henderson County. There are lots of fun things to do at Lake Lure, so spend an afternoon here relaxing on the water or the beach.

Eagle Rock Access

Try the Opera Box for one of the best vistas in the park, or the base of a waterfall for a more wet and wild experience. Scattered across the Chimney Rock access road, you’ll find many picnic tables and grills for enjoying a snack or a meal with a beautiful backdrop. Also, the entire Village of Chimney Rock is set right at the park’s base and offers its enticing array of adorable shops, cafes, and restaurants to try out. The two main areas on the entrance road will offer all of the facilities here. The Old Rock Cafe can be found right at the state park entrance.

Chimney Rock Access and Park Office

It is the perfect place to add to the rockhounding bucket list. For completing the challenge, participants will be entered in a quarterly raffle for various prize packs depending on the number of miles walked. This is a great experience for those who are looking to try their hand at rock breaking techniques and primitive prospecting.

chimney rock charlotte

Chimney Rock access is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

This picturesque park lies in the little village of Chimney Rock, which is in Rutherford County. This gem-mining experience even offers gemstone cutting, so visitors can turn their finds into jewelry. About two hours northwest of Charlotte, Crabtree Emerald Mine has been used as an emerald provider for Tiffany Jewelers in New York City. This mine is obviously known for its emeralds, but also has sums of other minerals including quartz and mica. At Chimney Rock State Park, visitors can take a 26-story elevator inside a mountain to view its geology from the inside.

Friends of State Parks

Beyond the Outcroppings Trail to Chimney Rock and the Hickory Nut Falls Trail, here are some other fun hiking trails with those two. Hickory Nut Falls is the second major attraction inside Chimney Rock State Park. This 404-foot waterfall is one of the tallest in North Carolina and the Eastern United States. Ticket prices may change based on the season and closures of parts of the park. Chimney Rock State Park also offers an annual pass, as well as two-day passes. You can buy your ticket here and redeem it at the Ticket Plaza before entering the park.

chimney rock charlotte

Ticket prices and operating hours for Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park are subject to change throughout the seasons. Chimney Rock Management LLC determines the prices, hours, and season schedule for the attraction; please contact them at for questions regarding those topics. Pets are allowed at the park, except they are not permitted inside buildings or in the elevator at the Chimney Rock attraction. Admission fees are charged per person at the Chimney Rock attraction. There are no fees to access Rumbling Bald and Eagle Rock for day-use.

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This trail, located near the Chimney Rock attraction entrance, provides free access to the Rocky Broad River at Chimney Rock's Main Street. Visitors can stroll by boulder-strewn waters and readily access local shops and restaurants. Free parking is available in the village alongside U.S. 64.

Caution in Waterfall Areas

One, more strenuous than the other, is a climb up 500 manmade steps. The other, much more manageable, is an elevator ride to a shorter set of stairs of only 44. Chimney Rock State Park is set just southeast of the cultural city of Asheville. It’s nestled right on the edge of the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains within western North Carolina.

Crowders Mountain State Park

Take Interstate 40 East to Exit #53A (Blue Ridge Parkway and Highway 74A East). Stay on 74A East for 20 miles and the Park entrance will be on the right. Follow Highway 64/74A West for 20 miles and the Park entrance will be on the left. Take Interstate 85 South to Exit #10 (King’s Mountain and Highway 74 West). Go 14 miles to the stop sign (Lake Lure will be opposite the stop sign).

You can find the park by taking I-240 East, Highway 74A, or US Highway 64. If you are visiting the beautiful North Carolina lake, Lake Lure, you’ll want to visit Chimney Rock State Park too. We love that rockhounders can plan a trip to Charlotte and experience all of these different places and excursions without traveling too far outside of the city. Following the rains "we did a more thorough inspection of trails to ensure the safety of our visitors," he said.

It also happens to be the hub for many of the amenities in the park. Earley, who investigated the incident, said the family had just moved to Charlotte four days earlier from Michigan. They were on a family outing for the day and were hiking on "Cliff Trail," one of the park's main trails. Before anyone noticed, the girl worked her way around the opposite side of a barricade, Earley said. The Four Seasons Trail takes you off the beaten path from the lower parking lot and up through the forests.

After three years on the fritz, Chimney Rock's buried elevator is running again - Charlotte Observer

After three years on the fritz, Chimney Rock's buried elevator is running again.

Posted: Thu, 05 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]

I think this is a relatively moderate hike up to the top – 499 steps to the top – which my 76 year old father and 69 year old mother managed just fine. The number one thing to do here is to climb to the top of the rock on the Chimney Rock hike. In 2006, the “World’s Edge” land was added to the park, making it a total of 1,568-acres. It was discovered by Lucius B. Morse who opened it as a private park in 1902.

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