Press release from Chimney Rock Management:
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park will partially reopen starting Friday, Nov. 10. Only the lower portion of the Park, which includes the Four Seasons trail, a portion of the Hickory Nut Falls trail, the Great Woodland Adventure trail and the Animal Discovery Den will be accessible.At 11 a.m. each day, a Park naturalist will lead a 2.2-mile roundtrip guided hike to the base of the Park’s 404-foot waterfall, Hickory Nut Falls, using the Four Seasons and Hickory Nut Falls trails. Hikers will meet at the Animal Discovery Den before the hike, which will last one hour and 30 minutes.Families with younger children can create a Track Trail account for their kids on kidsinparks.com before their visit. They can then hike the Great Woodland Adventure trail and log their hike on the Track Trail website for a chance to earn cool prizes.On Saturdays and Sundays, a Park naturalist will present Family Animal Encounters programs at 2 p.m. in front of the Animal Discovery Den.Admission rates are reduced to $6 per adult and $3 per youth (ages 5-15) during the partial opening.Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park has been closed since Monday, Oct. 23, after heavy rains caused a retaining wall to collapse at its upper parking lot.Since then, state contractors and DOT officials have assessed the damage and are creating a plan to stabilize the area and repair the retaining wall. No timeline is available for the completion of this project.Until visitor safety can be assured, the upper part of the Park, including Cliff Dwellers Gifts, the Chimney, Outcroppings trail, Sky Lounge, Exclamation Point and the Skyline trail, will be closed.For the updates on the Park’s progress, visit chimneyrockpark.com or facebook.com/chimneyrockparknc.
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