Chimney Rock is nestled within the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, forty minutes to the south east of Asheville, North Carolina. Tourists began visiting the rock and gorge in 1885. From 1916 through the early 1920's, the bridges, road, parking lot, and paths were built for easier access. The elevator to the summit was built in 1949 by blasting a 198 foot tunnel and a 258 foot vertical shaft into the mountain, saving tourists 400 extra steps to climb. There are plenty other stairs you must climb, so take the elevator up!
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You must be in fairly good shape to try and explore the numorous trails at the mountaintop. After taking the elevator to the summit, & experiencing the eerie feeling of the free standing height, we walked down the numorous stairs from the peak, into Moonshiner's Cave, and then hiked the Forest Stroll Trail. This beautiful trail leads you 3/4 miles through the woods to the absolutely stunning Hickory Nut Falls. It's an average to moderate hike, but well worth it. See the "Waterfalls" gallery for some photos.
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