Chimney Rock State Park in Western North Carolina will reopen June 27
Chimney Rock State Park and the Chimney Rock attraction in Western North Carolina will reopen June 27, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and N.C. State Parks announced Friday.
Why it matters: Much of the park has been closed since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina last fall. It will reopen exactly nine months after the storm hit the state.
Zoom in: Helene wiped out the park's entrance bridge. There were also landslides that blocked the park road, and damage to railings and retaining walls, according to the park's website, plus flooding in the elevator for the Chimney Rock attraction, a 315-foot freestanding rock spire.
What to expect: Park hours will be announced soon. You must make reservations in advance to access the Chimney Rock attraction. Reservations will launch roughly one week before the attraction reopens.
Capacity will be limited as recovery efforts are ongoing.
The park includes views of the mountains, Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure.
The big picture: Outdoor recreation, including hiking, is a major draw for tourists to Western North Carolina. N.C. Gov. Josh Stein recently went on CBS' " Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to talk about Helene recovery and to "say to all of America, Western North Carolina is open for business."
What they're saying: "Chimney Rock is a western North Carolina jewel," Stein said in a statement. "Reopening the state park will draw tourists back to this area. I am pleased that DNCR, DOT, and local leaders in Chimney Rock were able to get this park open for people to enjoy and so local businesses can thrive."
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Chimney Rock State Park to reopen June 27
ASHEVILLE - Chimney Rock State Park and its namesake attraction, a 315-foot freestanding rock spire, will reopen June 27, exactly nine months after Tropical Storm Helene devastated the surrounding communities. The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and N.C. State Parks announced the reopening date in a June 6 news release. 'Chimney Rock is a western North Carolina jewel,' said Governor Josh Stein in the release. 'Reopening the state park will draw tourists back to this area. I am pleased that (the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources), (N.C. Department of Transportation), and local leaders in Chimney Rock were able to get this park open for people to enjoy and so local businesses can thrive.' Much of the park has been closed since after the storm when essentially all of the village's bridges were washed out, including the main public access to the popular Chimney Rock attraction at the park, which drew upwards of 300,000 visitors in 2021. NCDOT recently completed work on a temporary bridge and repairs to the park's roads. Only the park's Rumbling Bald access is open now on the north side of the river, an area popular with rock climbers, featuring about 1.5 miles of hiking trails. Park hours and additional details will be announced soon, the release said. Advance reservations will be required to access the Chimney Rock attraction. The ticketing reservation system at will go live approximately one week prior to the reopening. Capacity will be limited due to ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts in the area. More: Free things to do around Asheville this summer: Get outside, stay indoors or catch a show More: What's new with Asheville's proposed 1.3-mile greenway extension in the RAD? Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@ or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Chimney Rock State Park to reopen June 27
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Chimney Rock State Park reopens June 27, nine months after Hurricane Helene's devastation. A temporary bridge and road repairs now allow access to park. Advance reservations with limited capacity will be required via Rock State Park is set to reopen exactly nine months after being devastated by Hurricane Helene. The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and N.C. State Parks announced today that Chimney Rock State Park, as well as the iconic Chimney Rock attraction, will reopen to visitors on Friday, June 27—the nine-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene's deadly assault on western North Carolina. Chimney Rock, the tiny North Carolina town roughly 25 miles southeast of Asheville that's home to the park, was nearly wiped off the map by flooding caused by the storm. Experts say it was the hardest-hit spot in a region where the destruction stretched for hundreds of miles. 'Chimney Rock is a western North Carolina jewel,' Governor Josh Stein said in a statement. 'Reopening the state park will draw tourists back to this area. I am pleased that DNCR, DOT, and local leaders in Chimney Rock were able to get this park open for people to enjoy and so local businesses can thrive.' Access to the park, where tens of thousands of visitors climb the famous 315-foot granite monolith for sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains each year, has been limited since September 2024 due to the loss of the park entrance bridge. The N.C. Department of Transportation just recently completed work on a temporary bridge and repairs to the park's roads. 'The reopening of this iconic park is another positive step toward recovery in western North Carolina,' N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary, Pamela B. Cashwell, said in a news release. 'We could not reopen Chimney Rock without the swift work of the N.C. Department of Transportation and the leadership from Governor Josh Stein and his recovery team.' Park hours will reportedly be announced soon. Capacity will be limited due to ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts in the area, a news release notes. Advance reservations will be required to access the Chimney Rock attraction via which will go live approximately one week prior to the reopening. Read the original article on Southern Living
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CHIMNEY ROCK, N.C. (WSPA) – After nine months of recovery from Hurricane Helene, Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is reopening to the public! The official reopening date is Friday, June 27. Officials said reservations will be required for all guests, including annual passholders. The park will initially reopen from Friday to Monday. Park officials said space will be limited as the site reopens to the public. Reservations go live in the coming weeks at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
