U.S. 64/74 A, Chimney Rock, North Carolina 828-625-9611, 1-800-277-9611 In 1902, Missouri physician Dr. Lucius B. Morse and his twin brothers, Hiram and Asahel, purchased 64 acres for $5,000, including Chimney Rock, a massive rock formation in western Rutherford County. The Chimney Rock Park, which is still privately owned and operated by the Morse family, features more than 2.5 miles of trails that lead to 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the Eastern United States.
The top of Chimney Rock, a height of 2,280-feet above sea level, provides visitors a 75-mile view of Lake Lure, Hickory Nut Gorge and the Carolina Piedmont. The Chimney is actually a 535-million-year-old remnant of igneous rock. From the upper parking lot at Chimney Rock Park, visitors can reach the Chimney by the trail system or ride a 26-story elevator inside the mountain. The elevator opens into the Sky Lounge Gift Shop and Snack Bar. Scenes from the 1992 film, Last of the Mohicans, starring Daniel Day-Lewis (Hawkeye) and Madeleine Stowe (Cora), were shot at Chimney Rock Park, which is located approximately 75 miles East of Cherokee.
