Drive out to see chimney Rock. The drive there was winding with some rough roads. Still dealing…read morewith hurricane damage. We entered Park with no problems And paid the entrance fee which covers the elevator ride to the top exiting into the gift store. We then climbed to forty steps up to the rock. Stairs easily accessible and well maintained. The view was spectacular. They have several hikes in the area. They even have a short easy hikes for children.

One of North Carolina's most iconic sights, Chimney Rock towers proudly above the Hickory Nut…read moreGorge, just west of Lake Lure and about 25 miles southeast of Asheville. The top of this 315-foot high 'gneiss monolith' is accessible to visitors via either a winding series of stairs or a convenient elevator, depending on your stamina level. But regardless of how you ascend, the spectacular view from the summit is well worth the time and effort. Hurricane Helene caused significant damage to the park and to the river valley below, which still looked like a scar across the landscape when we visited 15 months later. Still, many of the hikes, including the Four Seasons trail, from the lower parking lot to the base of Chimney Rock, have been reopened and are well worth exploring if you have the time. One highly recommended adventure is the 1.5-mile (round-trip) Hickory Nut Trail, which leads to the base of one of the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. Movie buffs will recognize the falls from the 1992 film 'Last of the Mohicans,' a portion of which was filmed here. Adult admission to the park is $17 for the day, and passes can be booked online in advance. There are gift shops, snacks and facilities available at multiple locations, including both the upper and lower lots and near the summit of Chimney Rock. Yes, it's an expensive outing, so try to take advantage of the many trails and sights this expansive park has to offer. We made a fairly quick stop on our recent trip, but plan on coming back next summer to hike to the base of Hickory Nut Falls and explore the Skyline Trail along the top of the ridgeline. After you leave the park, be sure to spend some time visiting the shops and restaurants in the Town of Chimney Rock, just across the Broad River. Devastated by Helene, this resilient community is still recovering, and tourist dollars are an essential lifeline. No visit to the North Carolina mountains is complete with a stop at Chimney Rock State Park. It's an unforgettable experience in one of America's most scenic regions, and a special place that you'll want to come back to again and again.

If you like the outdoors and some big rocks and cliffs, come check out this State Park. The park…read moreis one of the cooler State parks in North Carolina that I have had the pleasure of experiencing. I am a mountain type of person and I am really glad that public access has been provided to these cliffs and this Area. Rumbling Bald park host several great hiking trails through massive boulder fields and spectacular hardwood forests. The main draw for the park has to be for Bouldering and Rock Climbing. While hiking or walking through the woods in the winter/spring it is certain you'll see lots of people climbing up and down rocks. Thanks to the park staff for creating a viable parking lot for the park too. When you come here make sure to try and park as closely together as you can. It can get packed on the weekends. Also, don't double park or block anyone, or else you'll get a ticket. I really hope they access can be opened to the other cliff areas around the lake, like Ghost Town and the Darkside, which are currently closed.. 1 suggestion is to avoid this place in the summer, as it turns into a oven with the south-facing rocks, and there is poison ivy all over the place. Go enjoy the outdoor wander around some rocks.

This park is perfect for climbers and bouldering. The hike during the summer months does not…read moreprovide views unless you're willing to do a little climbing to escape the canopy. However, it's a beautiful trail, and I would bet full of views in the winter.

This is beautiful roadside overlook that provides you easy access to the waters of the Rocky Broad,…read morethere are a few parking spaces that runs perpendicular to the road. There are signs posted designating the space as well as a trash barrel - the split rail fence offers you a great view but you'll definitely want to get closer to the water's edge, this requires you to dip under the top railing and maneuver down a rocky bank that has an elevation change of no more than ten feet (the mid-railing is missing in this one spot only that's next to the trash dispenser) I didn't see any signage that would prevent you from accessing the lower level however it's definitely not an improved trail so proceed with caution the terrain is uneven and if wet could be very slippery. Once you transverse the hazards it's all giant boulders and sand, the rocks provide an obstacle course of adventure and some element of danger so good footwear is a must flip flops and bare-feet may add to the risk. The water is beautiful and well worth the effort. This place is often referred to as a beach, it's not like any I've experienced but I liked it. I was definitely interested in finding out something about the namesake and the following information is some of what I've found after doing a short search: Paul Matthews was born Dec 25, 1866 and died January 17, 1954. He was the Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey from 1915 to 1937. He married his wife Elsie Proctor (from the family of Proctor & Gamble) - it seems Paul had respiratory issues and the clean mountain air provided him some relief so he purchased some property and the rest is history. There no doubt Paul and Elsie Matthews had a positive financial impact on the area and this overlook was one way to acknowledge their contribution. It's worth a few minutes of your time and is a great spot to take a break or enjoy a cool drink and a snack in the shade...

Yes, the scenery is beautiful, but you can get that in Chimney Rock, Black Mountain, etc…read more The water and beach are just gross. There are ducks (and maybe geese) that live at the beach. They crap all over the place. The first 10 feet of sand is basically raked kitty litter, with duck poo instead of cat poo. The water and beach smell like poo. The beach (above the poo line) would be fine without the smell, as the sand is pretty clean and fine. Maybe the rest of the lake is clean, but it's hard to tell from the beach. Eww. The staff is friendly but not assertive enough. We went during COVID restrictions and half the people refused masks inside and none of the staff enforced anything.

We enjoyed canoeing. The water park was a couple of slides and some water spouts. Not what I'd…read morecall a waterpark, but fine for small children. I can understand the appeal for those who love this far from the beach or major amusement parks.

We had a wonderful time on the Lake Lure Boat Tour. Mike was kind and entertaining throughout our…read moreexperience. It was so neat seeing all the beautiful homes and the different areas where Dirty Dancing was filmed!

I took a Lake Lure Guided Boat tour with Patrick (not Swayze) who had a fun personality and tried…read moreto add some comedy to the tour. We were given a history of the area; shown some of the places Dirty Dancing was filmed in the Autumn of 1986. We saw the stairs where Jennifer Grey practiced her dancing. The movie was set in summer but the filming was in autumn so the tree leaves were painted. The water was cold while filming so the actors needed to get warmed up between takes. Some of the houses on the lake caught on fire so that led to a fire service with a boat so they can get there quicker than by road for fires on the lake. A lot of the homes are second homes for folks so I was surprised by the size of them. One of the houses had its own incline system to get from the house to the lake. It reminded me of an incline railway. Another house looked like a castle on the lake. Some of the original houses were smaller. The views from the lake were amazing with the Blue Ridge mountains and Chimney Rock. It is a fun tour with great scenery.

We took the brewery bus tour for a bachelor party and it was the best experience of our 5 day trip…read more Dave was our guide and we left every stop up to his decision. He didn't miss. Each brewery we went to was full of fun and different enough from the last that we were constantly entertained. Cannot recommend Dave enough, seriously. This tour is an amazing experience for any group looking to try some good beer and explore Asheville!

We took the morning Jeep Tour through the Blue Ridge mountains. The stops and the information was…read moregreat, and our guide had a great energy. The Jeep ride itself is kind of rough - we both left with small headaches.

Live in Lake Lure postal zone but not the actual town limits. Have been here 4 years and have…read moreenjoyed each year less and less. The town of lake lure seems to be on a vendetta against non residents. They change their rules Every year by increasing fees and changing rules against non residents. All fees for non residents are now at least double or more. I think lake lure should consider where all their revenue comes from.....tourism and the local non residents. I hear more and more complaints about the fees and even the local police are very rude.

I've never heard of this place before. We rented a cabin here that was a good distance from…read moreAsheville and not too far from the Smokey Mountains. We were very pleased to hear about Chimney Rock State Park. The town with all of its shops was beautiful and a total tourist spot. The views of the mountain, the beautiful sounds of the river, and the cool weather was a win win win! I cant wait to go back!!

This place was great! You can tell all the employees enjoy what they do and they make the adventure…read moreso much more fun! Jesse was our guide and he was very funny and got two of us outta the water quick n easy! 10/10 recommend

On a spared of the moment, we booked a last minute white water rafting trip with these crew and we…read moredid not regret the decision. The entire experience was outstanding, from booking over the phone, greeting upon arrival, great and convenient facilities, the trip to the launching ramp and safety briefing. Our guide SEAN, a local resident and very experienced river guy, was great and very knowledgeable. We are very pleased with the entire experience.