The cost of admission is $15/adult which I thought was surprisingly high for a state park. The ranger explained that it is because Chimney Rock is considered an “attraction,” so is more than just a state park. Whatever... I was still anxious to see it!
A map of the park is provided at the entrance.
The upper parking lot was closed, so all visitors (including dogs) were transported there by shuttle bus. Our sweet doggie, Sadie, sure enjoyed the bus ride! We could see the towering monolith (535M years old) of Chimney Rock above the parking area.
Even the views from the parking lot of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure are pretty spectacular.
When Dr. Lucius B. Morse first encountered Hickory Nut Gorge and Chimney Rock, he fell in the love with the rugged terrain. In 1902, he and his brothers (Hiram and Asahel) purchased a 64-acre tract of land that included Chimney Rock and surrounding cliffs. Over the years, they built hiking trails, bridges, lodging, and restaurants on the property. In 1949, they built a 26-story elevator in the mountain to enable more visitors to reach the top of Chimney Rock.
A tunnel and shaft were excavated, beginning in 1947. Drilling day and night, the crew used 8 tons of dynamite in total to complete the job. Progress was at the rate of about 6’ per day.
Excavated ore was dumped over cliffs near the parking lot where they were then crushed into gravel for pavement (road and parking) at the attraction. The high-speed, electric Otis Elevator was installed with a cab (still in use today) that carries 3,500 pounds and ascends/descends at 500’ minute. A steel staircase was also installed behind the elevator for emergency access, if needed.
In 2007, the Morse family sold their property to the state of North Carolina for $24M. Now it is a state park.
Because dogs are not permitted on the elevator, we hiked to the top (which ended up being a lot of fun). We took the Crevice Path to the metal stairway that continues up the rock formation to Chimney Rock.
The Grotto has an area to rest and enjoy the views.
Nearby is a low-clearance passageway through the rocks, called the Subway. Sadie really liked this space (probably because it was shady and cooler).
Beyond the Subway is Pulpit Rock.
We continued up, up, up, resting along the way, as it was a very hot day!
Once we reached the top, the views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure were even more amazing. On a clear day, you can see for 75 miles from here.
Interpretive Signs identify the various geologic features in the area. Rainbow Falls and Opera Box are two of them.
A commemorative bronze plaque honors the Morse brothers who owned and managed the site for decades.
Sadie had a lot of fun meeting people and taking in the views from atop Chimney Rock.
The stairway continues to Exclamation Point, a challenging hike, to an even higher elevation and extraordinary views of Hickory Nut Falls (400’). You can also hike the Hickory Nut Trail from the base of Chimney Rock to see the falls (3-mile round trip). It was too hot for us to do either!
We walked over to the Skyline Lounge Deli (where the elevator is) and bought some ice cream while we enjoyed the views from the outdoor tables.
We began our descent and stopped at Vista Rock.
At the bottom is a fissure cave, Gneiss Cave. It was created when a large piece of the mountain slid down and formed a small cavern (unlike most caves that are formed by water erosion). We all enjoyed the cool temperature!
A large gift shop is at the base of Chimney Rock next to the tunnel and elevator.
Chimney Rock was as amazing as I had hoped. It’s definitely worth a visit. Next time we will hike to Hickory Nut Falls (although the admission price is too high for a state park IMHO) and spend some time in historic Chimney Rock village.
We were really glad that our dog could accompany us! For additional information on the state park, go to www.chimneyrockpark.com.
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