431 Main St, Chimney Rock, NC 28720
Chimney Rock State Park, NC
by CeCe Owens
Today, reaching the top of Chimney Rock
takes driving up a three-mile winding road
to a large parking area, followed by climbing
500 steps or riding the elevator to the top.
The reward, on a clear day, are the 75-mile
views overlooking Lake Lure and the Hickory
Nut Gorge. The adventure took on a whole
new meaning in 1956 when a fast driving
visitor simply asked, “Hey, can we run up
that road?"
Chimney Rock Hill Climb was created.
The smell of fuel would fill the air and the
loud engines roared with tires squealing, as
drivers raced up the narrow winding road
in less than two minutes. The road that rose
from 1,100 to 2,200 feet above sea level with
13 hairpin turns always lined with spectators.
What started as just one man’s adventure
became the signature event for the Sports
Car Club of America; even a few NASCAR
drivers took it on in the latter years of the
race. In 1995, despite the fact no one had
ever been seriously injured, the growing
attraction of visitors and liability concerns
ended the event. It is certain that every race
car driver who attempted or was crowned
“King of the Hill” will never forget the Climb.
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
has been a tourist destination in western
North Carolina since a simple stairway was
built to the rock’s summit in 1885. In 1902,
Lucius B. Morse of Missouri bought the
site, and the Morse family developed park
facilities in 1916. The attraction included a
tunnel and elevator to the rock summit, a
nature center and a network of hiking trails
On your way up the trail, just a short distance from the Chimney,
catch your breath and enjoy the views of Lake Lure and Hickory
Nut Gorge from the Opera Box.
The popular Hickory Nut Falls trail takes you out to a platform at
the bottom of our 404-foot waterfall, the second highest of its kind
east of the Mississippi River and a backdrop for several scenes in
the movie The Last of the Mohicans. It’s a cool, refreshing stop and
a “must see” during your visit to Chimney Rock.
SUMMER 2019 MONROE LIFE 47
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