Budget Travel picked its favorite eight lake towns across the country and Lake Lure and Chimney Rock made the cut. Click here to check out the article. Be sure to click on the slide show for more pictures.

The Skyline-Cliff Trail Loop is currently closed while these improvements are made. We've begun work on the portion of the Skyline trail leading to Exclamation Point. Click here for more information and to see pictures of the project. Please note: At this time, just the portion of the trail leading to Exclamation Point is being worked on. The remainder of the Skyline-Cliff trail loop will be part of the state park's master plan for Chimney Rock State Park.

The NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources has announced that Greenways, Inc. will develop the master plan for Chimney Rock State Park. Click here to read the press release.

Not to worry! You can still access our most popular features – 315’ Chimney Rock, 404’ Hickory Nut Falls and our 26-story elevator inside the mountain, as well as the Opera Box, Devil’s Head and Moonshiner’s Cave.

All other trails remain open. From high atop the Chimney, take in 75-mile views of Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge. Stroll along the Hickory Nut Falls trail winding through hardwood forest to the bottom of the waterfall – the most spectacular spot to view the dramatic drop. Often overlooked, the Four Seasons trail begins near the Meadows and takes you through beautiful deciduous forest and boulder fields up to the Hickory Nut Falls trail. Families won’t want to miss the Great Woodland Adventure trail, featuring 12 discovery stations that educate kids (and parents!) about the animals that call the Park home. Stop by Grady the Groundhog’s Discovery Den and pick up a Scavenger Hunt sheet. Admission is $14 for adults and $6 for kids ages 6-15.

This link to the NC Parks & Recreation website page will keep you updated on the status of our trail improvements. You can also share your comments here.

We're Excited—Work Is Underway on the Skyline Trail Leading to Exclamation Point!

It’s been our goal, as well as that of NC State Parks, to return guests to Exclamation Point, which offers panoramic views of Hickory Nut Gorge and is the highest point in Chimney Rock at 2,480 ft.

Our trails crew started the project by removing old boardwalks and stairs last October. Next, a state team came in to begin building a 250-ft retaining wall which ranges in height from one to four feet. Sounds relatively simple, right?

We wish! Keep in mind the location and accessibility of the area of the Park we’re talking about. It’s no easy task getting materials from way down on the valley floor all the way up to 2480 ft!

More than 120 timbers and 25 tons of gravel are required for the trail, and these materials must be brought, load by load, to the work site with our mule. No, not the four-legged kind – the four-wheeled kind. For the gravel alone, over 100 trips will be necessary, and it takes about 1½ hours per trip, so you do the math. And don’t forget to factor in the timbers.

But there’s more to this equation. Once the materials have reached Exclamation Point, they then have to be moved to the work site using motorized wheelbarrows. A crew from Isothermal Community College is assisting with this task.

So, what’s the bottom line? With a lot of work and cooperation, plus a little bit of luck, we hope to have you standing atop Exclamation Point sometime this summer.

Click here to view some pictures of our progress. NC State Parks is working with a firm to develop a Master Plan for Chimney Rock State Park. The remainder of the Skyline-Cliff Trail Loop, as well as trails in the greater state park, will be addressed in this plan. The NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources has announced that Greenways, Inc. will develop the master plan for Chimney Rock State Park. Click here to read the press release.

Throughout the summer, we'll be offering a free family fun series on weekends with our Education Specialist Emily Walker.

The program will take place either Saturday or Sunday at 2pm (check our calendar of events for dates) at Grady's Animal Discovery Den. During the program, you'll learn about some of the animals that call Chimney Rock Park home. If you're lucky, you may even get a chance to meet some of those critters.

A reptile program will be offered on Saturday, May 30 at 2pm. Click here for more details.

The Nature Conservancy is offering hikes on the Bat Cave Preserve during the summer season. The focus of these hikes is to gain exposure to the plants and animals that live on the preserve and throughout the gorge. Hiking to the mouth of the cave will be contingent on ecological variables that are continuously changing. It is possible that the cave will not be open for viewing. (Even if the mouth of the cave is open for visitation, you will not be allowed and you will not see bats!)

Hikes begin June 6 and are every Wednesday and Saturday until August 12. The trail difficulty ranges from moderate to very strenuous and is less than one mile one way. The whole trip lasts about 2.5 hours.

Hikes start promptly at 10am and require reservations in advance. The cost is $10 per person, $5 per child under 12 and no charge for children being carried. Payment must be received in advance for parties of four of more. Due to the ecological sensitivity of the preserve, pets are not allowed.

Reservations: To make a reservation, call The Nature Conservancy's Mountain Office at 828-350-1431 and select option 4 or email Mtns_Volunteers@tnc.org. Leave your name, phone number, the date you would like to register for, and the number of people in your party. The conservancy will send a confirmation of your reservation along with additional logistical information.

MORGANTON, NC – The ridge, summit and slopes of Cane Creek Mountain are now part of the developing Chimney Rock State Park thanks to two acquisitions totaling 330 acres secured by Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina on behalf of the North Carolina state parks system.

Cane Creek Mountain extends the new state park northeast from “Worlds Edge” and offers outstanding views of Chimney Rock, the Pool Creek watershed and Lake Lure. The mountain is also part of the stunning view looking south from Lake Lure and east from Chimney Rock.

Foothills Conservancy negotiated the first purchase agreement a year-and-a-half ago with landowners Bob and Anne Washburn for a pristine 174-acre wilderness tract which was purchased by the state parks system in December. The purchase of 156 adjoining acres from John and Alan Moore was made by Foothills in February, using a loan from The Conservation Fund.

The state completed the acquisition of both tracts last week for addition to Chimney Rock State Park. Funding awards to state parks in 2007 and 2008 by the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund made the $6.5 million needed for the purchases possible.

“Lasting protection of Cane Creek Mountain represents another milestone in safeguarding the scenic views and nationally significant natural heritage of Hickory Nut Gorge,” said Tom Kenney, Foothills Conservancy’s land protection director. “We are very grateful for these landowners’ careful stewardship of the land over many years and their wishes to achieve conservation with these sales.”

The federally endangered White irisette plant and a number of other rare plants and animals find shelter on Cane Creek Mountain, part of a nationally significant natural area. The acquisition also protects a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Wildlife Action Plan priority habitat – forested rock outcrop complex.

Foothills Conservancy has worked closely in western Rutherford County with the state parks system and other conservation partners since 2004 to secure support for and create a new state park in the Hickory Nut Gorge by acquiring priority tracts, including Chimney Rock Park and Cane Creek Mountain.

“Our longstanding partnership with Foothills Conservancy has yielded many benefits both in the Hickory Nut Gorge and elsewhere in western North Carolina,” said Lewis Ledford, state parks director. “Targeted, high quality land acquisitions such as these result in very effective conservation as well as the creation of a world-class state park.”

To date, 4,320 acres have been set aside for the park, with acquisitions supported by the three state conservation trust funds, the N.C. General Assembly and private donors. Foothills Conservancy continues to work with the owners of other tracts that are strategic to this new park.

The only current public access is at Chimney Rock, the former 1,000-acre tourist destination. The state parks system is developing a master plan to guide long-term conservation efforts and development of facilities and access throughout the state park, and public input will be a part of that process.

Foothills Conservancy is a non-profit regional land trust working to protect significant natural areas and open spaces, including watersheds, farms and forests, along the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the Foothills in Rutherford, McDowell, Burke, Caldwell, Alexander, Catawba, Lincoln and Cleveland counties. Find more information about Foothills Conservancy on the web at www.foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930. Foothills Conservancy is also a participant in “Blue Ridge Forever,” a campaign to protect 50,000 acres in the Southern Blue Ridge by 2010.

Chimney Rock announced the winners of its 2008 photo contest themed “The Many Faces of Chimney Rock.”

Melissa James of Cowpens, SC takes first place for her photo tilted “Determination.” Melissa’s picture features her 68-year-old mother, Merle Gault, who after being disabled by a stroke made it to the top of Chimney Rock!

“She was tickled to death that she was able to make it to the top. Of course the elevator helped, but she still climbed the 44 steps up to the Chimney,” says Melissa. She wins a two-night stay and dinner at the historic 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa, Chimney Rock Annual Passes, lunch for two at our Old Rock Café and other fun goodies.

Columbia, SC’s Melissa King is the second place winter for her photo “The Face of our Future.” Melissa’s prize package includes Annual Passes to Chimney Rock, lunch at our Old Rock Café, and some other goodies.

Brianna Deller (age 14) from W. Columbia, SC is the winner in the youth category. Brianna’s picture shows the view as you exit Moonshiner’s Cave. Our judges liked the unique perspective Brianna showed with her image. She wins membership to Grady’s Kids Club, a gift certificate to pick out something special at Cliff Dwellers or the Sky Lounge and some other fun prizes.

Check out the winning entries here.

Want to be a winner? Click here for info on our 2009 contest.

Chimney Rock will reopen Saturday, March 7, at 9:30am after having been closed this week due to icy conditions from the snowstorm that struck the area Sunday, March 1st.

Also, our elevator is back in service after routine maintenance. And don't forget - Daylight Saving Time springs ahead on Sunday, March 8, so we will be staying open an hour later. The Ticket Plaza will be open until 5:30pm and the Park will remain open until 7pm.

The weather for the next several days is expected to be warm and sunny, so come on out to the Park!

In celebration of Chimney Rock’s mascot, Grady the Groundhog, on his special day, the Park held a poetry contest for elementary schools in Rutherford County. The two winning poems were written by Mrs. Thompson’s 1st grade class and Mr. Webb’s 5th grade class at Forrest W. Hunt Elementary in Forest City, NC.

Both classes will receive free admission to the Park’s Groundhog Day program set for Monday, February 2 at 10am as well as a pass for a free return visit to Chimney Rock this year. A representative from each class will recite the winning poem during the event.

Carlton Burke, a guest presenter at the Park and director of the Carolina Mountain Naturalists, will present a program on the natural history of the groundhog, how groundhogs were used by early settlers to the area and, of course, the legend of Groundhog Day. Then, Grady will head outside to make his weather forecast. If he sees his shadow, that means we’ve got six more weeks of winter, but if not, that means spring is just around the corner. Attendees will have a chance to get up-close and personal with Grady. The Groundhog Day program is open to the public. There is no additional fee with Park admission.

The winning poems are:

Mrs. Thompson’s 1st grade class

Grady is a great groundhog.
He sleeps all winter in a cozy old log.
February 2nd, he will wake on this day.
If he sees his shadow – he will run away.
Then the long, cold winter will be here to stay.

Mr. Webb’s 5th grade class

Grady the Groundhog lives at Chimney Rock Park.
His fur is the color of an old Oak tree’s bark!
February 2nd he comes out of his hole, Cause this groundhog plays an important role.
He tells if winter is going to stay,
Or if its time to go out and play!
If he sees his shadow, he’ll go indoors,
And if he doesn’t, he’ll go and explore.
Grady thinks doing his job is okay,
So that’s why we have a Groundhogs Day!

Chimney Rock Park is a 1,000-acre natural scenic attraction located 25 miles southeast of Asheville on Highway 64/74-A in Chimney Rock, NC. 2008 admission is $14 for adults and $6 for youth ages six through 15. Children under six are admitted free. More information at chimneyrockpark.com or by calling 800- 277-9611.

In a recent survey of Southern Living Magazine readers from Delaware to Texas, Chimney Rock was named number three for best scenic views.

Click here to view other winners. Thanks Southern Living readers!

On Saturdays, December 6 and 13, Santa Santa came to practice at Chimney Rock. He climbs down our 315ft Chimney before climbing down millions of much shorter chimneys around the world.

This year, Mrs. Claus accompanied her husband for the first time. "Nick always talks about how much fun it is to climb the biggest Chimney around, so this year, I decided I would come along," she says.

Santa's visit to Chimney Rock was named "one of the top 10 places to catch up with Santa" in the country by USA Today.

The Blue Ridge Highlander was also quite impressed with Santa's practice sessions. Click here to read their fun story!

We're excited to be on this very exclusive top ten list from USA Today! Check out the complete article here.

Santa Claus makes his annual stop at Chimney Rock on Saturdays, December 6 and 13 from 11am to 2pm. To get himself ready for clambering down chimneys across the world, Santa will practice on 315’ Chimney Rock. He’ll rappel down the 535 million-year-old rock face, then ride the elevator back to the top and do it all over again.

This year, Mrs. Claus joins Santa for his visit to Chimney Rock. Mrs. Claus will be available for photos with good little boys and girls, and will happily take gift requests for her husband’s list. Holiday music will add to the festive atmosphere, and hot chocolate and apple cider will be available in the Sky Lounge.

Guests may also catch Santa in one of the Park’s gift shops taking advantage of great shopping deals. From December 1-31, Annual Passes for adults are just $20 (regularly $25) and Grady’s Kids Club Passes are just $8 (regularly $10). Annual Passholders receive unlimited visits to the Park for one year as well as discounts to other area attractions and throughout the Park.

Winter is a great time to visit Chimney Rock Park. Not only are the views expansive, hiking the trails is a great way to fend off extra holiday calories. Winter hours (December through March) at the Park are from 9:30am to 6pm, but the Ticket Plaza closes at 4:30pm.

Chimney Rock was recently featured on the Our State program on UNC- TV. To view the segment, click here.

On Sunday, September 7, we hosted the 2nd Annual Race to the Rock as part of the Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad.

Our congratulations to the dozens of runners and cyclists who completed the challenging uphill race.

Click here for the 5K run results.

Click here for the 7K bike results.

From the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- As summer winds down, early climate indicators and mild weather trigger predictions that fall 2008 could produce the most colorful leaf season in years in Western North Carolina.

“The environmental conditions leading into autumn are the best we’ve seen in years here in Western North Carolina, possibly setting the stage for the brightest leaf color show in recent history,” said Dr. Gary Walker, a biology professor at Appalachian State University.

“Comparatively, the high country has had a wet summer and now temperatures are beginning to cool,” said Dr. Walker. “Dry, cool weather from here on out and, ideally, an early frost in September would produce intense, widespread fall color at all elevations.”

"This should be a pretty good fall for leaf color change. We are still in drought conditions in the western part of the state (which is surprisingly good for fall color), although there was enough rainfall this spring to keep the trees healthy," said Dr. Kathy Gould Mathews, assistant biology professor at Western Carolina University. "Fortunately, the summer temperatures have not been as consistently hot as last year. This should make for a nice, long progression of fall color."

"Slight drought tends to improve the vibrancy of leaf color in the fall, so we should see spots of very nice color this year," said Dr. Mathews. "A sharp cooling of temperatures in September and October would really cause the colors to burst, as this stimulates anthocyanin (red pigment) production."

With elevations that range from 1,500 feet in the valleys to 6,684 feet at Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River, the Asheville area is a fall leaf kaleidoscope from late September through early November as the foliage color beginning at the highest elevations slowly creeps down the mountainsides. Color hunters hoping to find the perfect "peak” time for fall foliage are surprised to learn that Western North Carolina boasts one of the most extended fall foliage seasons in the nation due to varying elevations, microclimates and nearly 100 species of deciduous trees.

Check our website for fall color updates beginning mid-September.

If you enter Chimney Rock after 4pm, your ticket is good for the next day too! Just hold on to your ticket reciept and present it at the Ticket Plaza.

At Chimney Rock, there’s nothing we enjoy more than hearing about your visit to the Park. So, if you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your family or friends in print, online or even on a billboard, now’s the time to enter our Share Your Favorite Moments campaign.

Log on to our homepage and click on the “Tell Us Your Story” button. Simply follow the steps and you may find your special moment at Chimney Rock as part of our upcoming advertising and marketing efforts. Plus, you’ll see your fun photos in the photo album on our website.