Top Hiking Trails for Family Fun
Where can you ride a 26-story elevator to the top of a 500-million-year-old mountain monolith, and then walk down 500 stairs to the bottom? Chimney Rock State Park, which offers a full day of thrills with breathtaking scenery, hiking trails, wildlife, and one of North Carolina’s highest waterfalls, Hickory Nut Falls. A few miles down the road, discover gorgeous Lake Lure, a popular resort destination for decades of Blue Ridge visitors.
Family Fun and Discovery
Chimney Rock State Park – all 4,000 acres of it – will awaken your sense of adventure. Special events include “Off the Beaten Path” guided hikes, live music concerts by various artists as well as sports challenges like the Annual Race to the Rock that takes place in August. At Grady’s Animal Discovery Den, Grady the Groundhog invites little ones to view local wildlife such as non-venomous snakes. Kids are also treated to educational handouts about the park’s geology, birds, and wildflowers. Bring the family dog too – Chimney Rock is pet-friendly!
Hiking High and Low
Reach the pinnacle of Chimney Rock State Park on the Skyline Trail, which brings you to the natural rock formations, Devil’s Head and Exclamation Point. From this vantage you can see 75-mile views of Hickory Nut Gorge, including idyllic Lake Lure. Kids will enjoy the Great Woodland Adventure trail, featuring sculptures and 12 “discovery stations” along the way. The 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls, featured in the movie The Last of the Mohicans, is accessible by an easy 1.5-mile hike on a wooded trail.
Morse Park Town Walk
- Directions: Located at the Lake Lure Town Center on Memorial Highway
- Hiking distance: Approximately 2 miles
- Difficulty: Easy
- Highlights: Picturesque views of the surrounding mountains, Lake Lure and area flora, and fauna. A special treat from Spring through Fall is the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge.
- Trail Review: Morse Park – Lake Lure Town Center Walking Tour
Opening Time :
- Monday - Sunday : 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM
- Distance : 10 km
Dittmer-Watts Nature Trail Park
- Directions: Located on NC 9, ¼ mile south of Highway 64W (across from Ingles)
- Hiking Distance: ½ to 3 miles – several side trails bi-sect the main loop
- Difficulty: easy to moderate
- Highlights: Surrounded by nature, well-maintained trails and 2 open fields to let the pups run. Also, one nice view overlooking the Lake Lure Municipal Golf Course and up the Hickory Nut Gorge.
- Trail Review: Dittmer-Watts Nature Trail Park