Summer Road Trip Next Stop: Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock, NC
After saying our goodbyes to the Way family we headed west. Our next stop was planned a couple of hours out to Chimney Rock. Still in the state of North Carolina, a couple of hours out from Charlotte.
We arrived in the small town of Chimney Rock and saw lots of shops and attractions. Once we found parking our mind was set on lunch. We wandered through main street taking in the historic charm. The town reminded me of a small scale Wisconsin Dells.
Our lunch plan was to eat at The Old Rock Cafe. We ordered our lunch at the counter and then went out back to find seating. There was an informal outside deck that was perfect for families with kids.
While we were waiting for our food to be prepared I walked down the back stairs with the boys to the river. It was a great time passer to jump rocks and explore the serene area.
Chimney Rock State Park has an entrance right in the middle of the town. It was just down from where we ate lunch, but we did go back to our car and drive up into the park.
Chimney Rock State Park has spectacular views and incredible hiking trails. I had planned out what experiences we were going to do before we arrived based on what was family-friendly. I knew my 3-year old wouldn’t be able to hike treacherous trails for miles. Our first climb was on the Outcroppings Trail. It was 494 steps up to Chimney Rock.
We made it to the top! We we able to soak in the 75-mile panoramic views of Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. Both parents were more frightened of the heights than any of the kids.
After our big climb we decided to take the elevator down from the top. There was a fun tunnel to walk out from inside the rock.
Once we reached the base of Chimney Rock we took stairs down to our next trail. We picked Hickory Nut Falls trail because of the recommendation for small children and knowing we would reach a waterfall.
The trail was a 1.4 miles and a out and back. There are some ledges that are open to steep falls so make sure your kids are not pushing each other like mine did and it will be a little less stressful. We took a short break here and there for water but the kids had no problems making this distance.
Seeing the view and cooling off in the waterfall made walking the trail worth it. We were able to easily take our shoes off and walk down into the waterfall pool. It was shallow enough for us to walk through and cool off.
The accessibility for our family and the amazing view were well worth stopping at Chimney Rock State Park. I highly recommend checking this park out, even if it is a little out of the way on your next adventure.
Pin It!
