Chimney Rock State Park

Posted in: MyWorld Tuesday
Chimney Rock State Park
North Carolina


A couple of weekends ago,
Cody and I embarked upon a pursuit to find fall.
It was that whim which led us to Chimney Rock State Park in Chimney Rock, NC.

Chimney Rock has been on my local(ish) list of places to go for quite some time now.
Two years to be exact. Last year during Christmas we were supposed
to go with my Mom and her boyfriend, but things didn't go
according to plan on account of the torrential down pour.
Thankfully, we waited for the perfect time to finally
make the trip back for our day at the rock.

Hickory Nut Gorge

There are a few trails that take you through the forest,
but we decided to save those for the way down!
We took the shuttle bus to the top instead.

Chimney Rock was fairly busy, although I still think
we picked a day that was far less crowded than most.

Stair to Overlook

Along with the spectacular views of the Hickory Nut Gorge,

Stairs A Plenty

you will find a plethora of steps that lead you to the various alcoves

The Grotto

and overlooks.

Devil's Head

Those require a little more work to get to,
but it's well worth the extra effort to get that unique perspective.

Opera Box
(Opera Box - look closely)

The highlight, of course,
was the giant granite monolith that towered above the gorge.

Chimney Rock

An interesting tidbit:
A couple scenes from the movie The Last of the Mohicans was filmed in this state park.
One was the fighting sequence that took place at the top of Hickory Nut Falls.

Hickory Nut Falls

I would have loved to catch this waterfall after a rain,
as you can see in this photo the watershed was pretty sparse.
I had a tough time photographing it.

After visiting the Chimney, and hiking to the waterfall
we decided to make our descent to the parking lot via the Four Seasons Trail.
It was down hill most of the way, tough on the knees, but not too bad.
I enjoyed being away from the crowds, plus I was able to soak up a little more fall.

Chimney Rock Silhouette

It was a terrific way to spend the day.
So happy that we FINALLY had the chance to go.

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40 comments:

  1. StardustNovember 18, 2008 at 1:09 AM

    What majesty of nature! I love the view overlooking from above.

    The waterfall is so well taken anyway. I've enjoyed the pictorial trip so much. =)

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  2. LeacayoungartNovember 18, 2008 at 1:21 AM

    Wow. That is gorgeous. Beautiful work on your part as well.

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  3. LydiaNovember 18, 2008 at 3:16 AM

    Why had I never heard of Chimney Rock State Park before? It's spectacular and your photos really gave me the sense of the height. That Grotto looks like a special little place.

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  4. ???November 18, 2008 at 6:09 AM

    Spectacular photos, thanks for the tour.

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  5. AnonymousNovember 18, 2008 at 6:48 AM

    Oh wow.. those are all great shots! I love the lavender sky the most.

    Have a look of my world here. It was so great seeing your world!

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  6. renee @ FIMBYNovember 18, 2008 at 8:32 AM

    cool, what a lovely place and what awesome photos. I love how "clean" they look, not sure how else to describe it.

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  7. LouiseNovember 18, 2008 at 8:54 AM

    What an incredible place! And now it is on my list of places (not-so-close) to go! I LOVED Last of the Mohicans, and since you mentioned that, I recognize the rocks. They are a unique style.

    Beautiful post.

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  8. CathyNovember 18, 2008 at 8:57 AM

    What a perfect day for a hike! I'd love to go there sometime. Most of the leaves are off the trees here.

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  9. LACNovember 18, 2008 at 8:57 AM

    Looks beautiful and reminds me of Rock City in Chattanooga.

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  10. ELKNovember 18, 2008 at 8:58 AM

    what a beautiful photo walk before work this morning ~ such images to carry me through ...thanks for sharing your trips!

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  11. Greg CNovember 18, 2008 at 9:14 AM

    Thanks for taking me back to Chimney Rock. It has been years since I went there. I sat in that bench in the Grotto. The fall is my favorite time to visit because of the leaves. Thanks so much.

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  12. AnonymousNovember 18, 2008 at 9:43 AM

    Awesome! What an interesting post and info!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Cheers, Klaus

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  13. spread your wingsNovember 18, 2008 at 9:44 AM

    wow you definitely had a gorgeous day to visit. The views are incredible and you gave us a fabulous tour. thanks!!

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  14. MaryAnn AshleyNovember 18, 2008 at 10:21 AM

    Great hike & photos! I could hang out at the Grotto with a hot cup of tea, pleathora of snacks & a couple of reads all day... maybe a down sleeping bag too.

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  15. AnonymousNovember 18, 2008 at 10:33 AM

    whay a great outing.love pic's.

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  16. CarverNovember 18, 2008 at 10:34 AM

    You got some great shots. I went there several times as a child when visiting my grandmother in Boone and later as an adult but have never photographed it. It's only in the past few years that I've gotten into taking a lot of photographs. I enjoyed seeing yours.

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  17. This Is My Blog - fishing guyNovember 18, 2008 at 10:40 AM

    WW: What a neat area to visit, I felt like I was there with you. I remeber the scene in that movie at the falls. I think they hid under a heavy flow during a rain. Yours was an interesting post and I'm glad I came along.

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  18. Meadowlark DaysNovember 18, 2008 at 10:48 AM

    oh my, it's beautiful!

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  19. GreenJelloNovember 18, 2008 at 11:10 AM

    Ooh. I want to go now!

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  20. The Good Life in VirginiaNovember 18, 2008 at 11:59 AM

    i so enjoyed your post...beautiful shots.
    thank you for sharing with everyone.

    erin

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  21. prinNovember 18, 2008 at 12:03 PM

    Awesome! That seems like an amazing park.

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  22. MeridithNovember 18, 2008 at 12:42 PM

    You live near so many beautiful places to visit.

    "The Last of the Mohicans" is one of my husband's favorite movies.

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  23. .November 18, 2008 at 1:24 PM

    absolutley beautiful.. Thanks for sharing your trip. Fall is amazing! We are trying our best to reduce reuse and recyle too.

    Love those views! and the waterfall pics below are fantastic. When I have more time I would love to get my tripod and do a few of those too. your work is always amazing!

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  24. AnonymousNovember 18, 2008 at 1:42 PM

    Gorgeous. You do such a beautiful job on your waterfall photos. I'm not sure I would love being at the top with so many people, vertigo and a fear of being bumped over the railing might taint my visit. If I were alone with someone I trusted I would be okay though!
    Thanks for sharing.

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  25. TechnodollNovember 18, 2008 at 3:56 PM

    I've got the fear of heights so even looking at the pics made me dizzy, LOL! How do you do it :-D

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  26. LoriNovember 18, 2008 at 4:19 PM

    Wow, what a find! It's good you waited for a spectacular day to visit. This park is really impressive. Fall must be the best time to visit!

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  27. AnonymousNovember 18, 2008 at 9:02 PM

    loving these. I am so glad you guys go outdoors often! i know that might sound strange-but we miss our hikes out west!

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  28. Elizabeth HaltNovember 18, 2008 at 9:08 PM

    the valley is so colorful from above - full of oranges and yellows! I love the hidden alcoves.

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  29. GaelynNovember 18, 2008 at 10:58 PM

    Beautiful views, great rock monoliths and an inviting trail. A very nice tour of your world.

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  30. AnonymousNovember 19, 2008 at 12:04 PM

    What a wonderful post and what a place to visit with the expanse of fall colors wherever you look. Those stair look kind of scary but I'd do it. :-) Really great photos and I'm so glad you shared them.

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  31. Ms. TeeNovember 19, 2008 at 12:32 PM

    Oh, what a perfect fall day, and that blue sky! What a great place - that is neat that parts of the Last Mohican were filmed there as well! :)

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  32. AnonymousNovember 19, 2008 at 12:42 PM

    I'm just in awe looking at all of these! Wow, what a gorgeous place to be and how beautifully you've captured it.

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  33. AnonymousNovember 19, 2008 at 2:58 PM

    Thanks for your visit to my post about the Capitol Christmas Tree. I'm sure NC has contributed and will again was the years go by. From what I see in these photos you have a lot of wonderful trees! Never heard of Chimney Rock - amazing photos, really enjoyed seeing everyting.

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  34. JoyceNovember 19, 2008 at 6:51 PM

    That monolithic rock column is amazing. Thank you for sharing your beautiful photography of the event.

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  35. Ian FranceNovember 19, 2008 at 6:51 PM

    I've never heard of Chimney rock, but it looks both beautiful and intimidating at the same time - those steep cliffs must have been disorienting walking down. You seem like you had a good time, and the last shot is fantastic!

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  36. SandyCarlsonNovember 19, 2008 at 8:16 PM

    What a beautiful place. The heights are dizzying, but the view is extra spectacular. Gorgeous. Thanks.

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  37. Angie Z ~ DuckwaddlequackNovember 22, 2008 at 12:55 PM

    Such wonderful and beautifully breath-taking photos! Glad you were able to make the trip finally! Hugs for a wonderful weekend!
    ~Angie

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  38. AnonymousNovember 24, 2008 at 4:19 AM

    It looks like you succeeded in finding Fall. Thanks for taking us on a journey to a very unique place and time.

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  39. tr3ntaNovember 28, 2008 at 10:58 AM

    Great place nice reportage...

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  40. AnonymousMay 12, 2009 at 4:18 PM

    This is one of my most favorite places in the world.

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