Chimney Rock

Village of Chimney Rock

Visitors in Chimney Rock village outnumber the 175 year-round residents most of the time. That’s fine with residents, who have created a family-friendly, warm welcome for guests to enjoy one of the small towns in North Carolina. Here, Chimney Rock rules as it towers 315 feet in Chimney Rock Park.

History

Chimney Rock village is in the Hickory Nut Gorge, a natural gap through the southern Appalachian mountains that contains such unique geological features as the Chimney Rock formation itself as well as many rare plants and animals. Chimney Rock village, incorporated in 1991, is among just a few villages in North Carolina. Most buildings downtown, just outside Chimney Rock Park, date to the 1920s. The village became a resort town around Chimney Rock Park, which began to be developed in 1902.

Chimney Rock State Park

Chimney Rock Park, which was privately owned, recently became Chimney Rock State Park, one of the newest North Carolina state parks. With an elevation range from about 1,100 feet to 2,800 feet, the park is expanding to include some 5,000 acres. With its rare animals and plants, Chimney Rock State Park will be one of the premier state parks in North Carolina. The 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls is among the most dramatic waterfalls in Western North Carolina. Parts of “The Last of the Mohicans” were filmed at the park.

Playing at the Rocky Broad River

Chimney Rock village is about 3 miles long, from the Henderson County line to the town of Lake Lure. And the Rocky Broad River, popular for trout fishing in North Carolina, rolls right through the village. The Rocky Broad Riverwalk follows the river, and many people enjoy picnics at Riverside Park. The river also draws paddling enthusiasts who love kayaking in Western North Carolina and North Carolina canoeing.

Mom and pop shopping and dining

Outside Chimney Rock Park, in the downtown business district, Chimney Rock village revolves around tourists. Visitors enjoy a refreshing mix of independent restaurants and shops, no franchises here. Family-owned businesses range from an outfitter and general store to a variety of gift shops. Restaurants, some on the Rocky Broad River, offer a mix of selections, too, from Riverwatch Deli and Duncan’s Bar-b-que to the Old Rock Café beside the entrance to Chimney Rock Park.

For chili fans, the village’s annual cook-off in December is one of the popular North Carolina chili cook-offs.

Inns in North Carolina

If you appreciate North Carolina inns, you have a choice in our village. All accommodations are just minutes from Lake Lure. The Esmeralda offers upscale lodging and dining with views of Chimney Rock Park, Hickory Nut Gorge and the Rocky Broad River. The Wicklow Inn is a bed and breakfast with an Irish touch on the Rocky Broad River, two blocks from Chimney Rock Park. Fibber MaGee’s Riverfront Lodging, one of the North Carolina historic inns, offers rooms that overlook the Rocky Broad River in a building that originally was a stagecoach inn. Guests at the Chimney Rock Inn may relax on the porch in rocking chairs with a great view of Chimney Rock. At The Carter Lodge on the River, visitors entertain themselves with picnic tables, grills and swings, and there’s North Carolina trout fishing out back. Whether you are looking for a secluded location, magnificent views, lakeside living, or charming décor, you will find it at one of Distinctive Mountain Lodging's cabin rentals.