A New 1.1-mile trail will open at Chimney Rock State Park
The new Skyline Trail offers scenic views, lush foliage and shimmering cascades. It is accessible only by climbing more than 800 steps to the trailhead locate at Exclamation Point. Opens up just in time for Fall – The new Skyline trail with its lush foliage and spectacular views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure Chimney Rock North Carolina
Bring Cameras Wear support sturdy shoes – hiking boots bring plenty of water and snacks, park officials advise. All hikers must start from the Skyline trailhead by 5 p.m – 4 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time – to allow for ample exploring and making it back to their car before the park closes.
The trail is named after the park’s old Skyline Trail, which led guests across the upper cliff face to the top of the park’s waterfall. Sustainability issues with railings and bridges along the path led to its closure in 2008. Since then, N.C. State Parks, Chimney Rock Management, LLC, and Friends of Chimney Rock State Pk worked together to bring back the upper trail in a more sustainable way.
The park’s centerpiece attraction is its 535-million-year-old monolith, Chimney Rock. The park also has one of the highest waterfalls east of the Mississippi 404 ft Hickory Nut Falls.
The old trail led guests across the upper cliff face to the top of the park’s waterfall, but problems with railings and bridges along the path led to the trail’s closure in 2008.
In 2015-2017, officials decided a new 1.1 mile trail would be built with no structures or boardwalks, Chimney Rock State Park Superintendent James Ledgerwood said in announcing the upcoming opening. – “The new Skyline trail travels along a higher route on the mountain, which provides for sustainable natural resource protection and excellent views of Hickory Nut Gorge,” he said. Midway along the trail, hikers come upon Peregrine’s Point, an overlook where visitors can have a picnic and take in more views. From there, hikers journey to the end of the trail, where cascades tumble over the mountainside to form Hickory Nut Falls.
www.chimneyrockpark.com.