Press release from Chimney Rock State Park:
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park will reopen to guests on Friday, November 25, at 8:30am just in time for folks to walk off their Thanksgiving Day dinner.
The Park was evacuated on November 11 due to the Party Rock Fire that burned over 7000 acres in the Hickory Nut Gorge area, but thanks to the incredible support of firefighters from across the state and country, the area was protected, no one was injured and no structures were lost.
The fire did not affect any of the Chimney Rock section of the Park. Park associates are working to move equipment that was staged on the mountain to support firefighting efforts and clear the trails of debris that accumulated from the recent windy conditions while the Park was closed.
Guests to the Park will still be able to view the last of this season’s fall color display as they drive up the Park road. Very little evidence of the fire will be noticeable from the top of Chimney Rock Mountain since the fire burned leaf litter and debris along the ground and did not climb into the tree canopy.
“Fire, while often viewed as tragedy from a human perspective, is a necessary and important dynamic in southeastern forests. This fire, while extremely large, was neither catastrophic nor devastating for our forests, but rather quite beneficial from the standpoint of litter and debris removal and carbon replacement. In the spring, the forest canopy will be renewed with green leaves while the forest floor is covered with beautiful wildflowers, leaving little evidence that a major fire event ever occurred,” shared Clint Calhoun, Environmental Management Officer for the Town of Lake Lure.
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park is located on Hwy. 64/74A in Chimney Rock, NC. Call 800-277-9611 or visit the Park’s website, ChimneyRockPark.com or their Facebook page for information on upcoming events and the Park’s winter schedule.
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