Chimney Rock and Lake Lure are neighboring resort towns 20 miles South of Black Mountain. I passed thru both on the way to Black Mountain from Florida. It was my first experience in the Mountains, driving up Route 9, which winds slowly up through the mountains from South Carolina and ends at Montreat (next to Black Mountain).
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| One face of Chimney Rock, from the lower parking lot |
I fell in love with these towns immediately and thought it might be worth while to spend a week there prior to leaving Asheville, but instead opted for a Friday afternoon. I have only two weekends left in Asheville and one of those is Memorial Day so I thought I had better get the tourist attractions out of the way.
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| The Chimney, as seen from a trail above it |
Chimney Rock is named for Chimney Rock (no!), a 315-foot, 535-million-year-old monolith that is the center of Chimney Rock State Park. To reach the top you drive a couple miles up the mountain until you're almost at the top, and then you can hike the rest of the way (what a jip...).
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| On the Chimney |
The highest point of Chimney Rock is Exclamation Point (isn't that the best name!) at 2,480 feet, and just below that is the Chimney, an outcrop that serves as the focal point of Chimney Rock and where most tourists arrive by elevator. You can also climb to the Chimney and then on to Exclamation Point via 470 steps, which today I had to share since the elevator was undergoing renovation (though I did save $2 on admission!).
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| Exclamation that's a good view! Hickory Nut Gorge from Exclamation Point |
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Katie made it up about five steps before she stopped to rest, so I thought she would be more comfortable in the truck. Most of the people on the stairs would have been as well, and made sure everyone knew it.
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| Hickory Nut Falls |
The next trail is the Hickory Nut Falls trail, leading to ... Hickory Nut Falls. (I really dig the practical naming schemes here.) It's an easy 3/4 mile to the falls, rounding the huge rock-faced mountain side and peering down in the gorge.
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| Looking up! |
The last trail is the Four Seasons Trail that leads through the woods from the upper parking lot to the lower. It's a little over a mile round trip and has some steep sections which are nice. This is the first time I'm climbing down the mountain and then back up, and this works so much better!
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| Lake Lure, from the beach |
Next is Lake Lure, a beautiful resort town shouldered up against Chimney Rock Village. My favorite film of all time, Dirty Dancing, was shot here, so I was anxious to find some visual clues. I parked in the municipal marina and community center parking lot, which provides access to the the park trails around the lake. These are just walking trails, and are perfect for Katie.
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| Lake Lure Beach |
We toiled along the lake for about an hour, but Patrick Swayze's cabin was no where in sight ...
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| View of Lake Lure from the top of Chimney Rock |
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