NC’s Chimney Rock park opens soon, even if the village and roads aren’t quite ready
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- Chimney Rock State Park will reopen June 27 via a new temporary access bridge.
- Main Street businesses remain closed, with most under ongoing reconstruction.
- Visitors must reserve park access; elevator service has resumed with limits.
The flood waters that destroyed much of Chimney Rock village last Sept. 27 also took out the bridge over the Rocky Broad River that served as the main entrance to the park for decades.
When Chimney Rock State Park reopens June 27, exactly nine months later, it will be across a new temporary bridge down the road.
The temporary span is near the site of an old truss bridge that once provided access to homes along Southside Drive and was also washed away during Helene. The temporary one now connects Main Street (U.S. 64/74A) with Chimney Rock Park Road.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will build a new permanent bridge to the park as part of the larger effort to reconstruct the highway between Chimney Rock and Bat Cave. It will be located where the old private bridge once stood, and plans call for it to connect to Main Street at a new roundabout, which is expected to keep traffic moving more smoothly.
The highway between Bat Cave and Chimney Rock has reopened but is limited to local traffic only. Visitors to Chimney Rock, Lake Lure and the park are advised to come from the south and east on U.S. 64/74A or N.C. 9.
Are Chimney Rock businesses open?
Chimney Rock State Park drew more than 414,000 visitors in 2023, the last full year before the storm. On their way in and out, they passed shops and eateries on Main Street that were the lifeblood of the village.
None of those businesses have reopened. Some were washed away completely by the river. Others are in various states of repair.
Village administrator Stephen Duncan says some will begin to reopen next month after water and sewer service is restored.
“Most of the businesses downtown are 50 to 90 percent rebuilt and working to complete their final stages,” Duncan said on June 12.
How to go to Chimney Rock State Park
The park itself is also still working to recover from the storm. Helene damaged trails, railings and retaining walls and caused landslides that blocked the park road.
Heavy rain flooded the elevator that carries visitors 26 stories from the parking lot to the Sky Lounge viewing area, near the top of the 315-foot rock spire for which the park is named.
The elevator is working again, but the park will limit access and require advance reservations as rebuilding work continues.
▪ Tickets: Annual Chimney Rock pass holders are able to reserve tickets for a soft opening June 21 and 22, while anyone can make reservations starting June 23 for the opening weekend, according to spokeswoman Kris Anne Bonifacio. Admission is $17 for adults and $8 for children 5 to 15.
▪ Information: Find out about hours, reservations, directions and the park at chimneyrockpark.com.
Chimney Rock is one of two state parks still closed in Western North Carolina because of Helene, both because of lack of access. The other is Mount Mitchell State Park, which is cut off from the outside world because of landslides on the Blue Ridge Parkway. No timetable has been set for reopening Mount Mitchell, Bonifacio said.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
