Chimney Rock State Park
| Chimney Rock State Park | |
| North Carolina State Park | |
 Chimney Rock, a 315-foot (96 m) granite monolith
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| Named for: Chimney Rock | |
| Country | United States |
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| State | North Carolina |
| County | Rutherford |
| Elevation | 2,880 ft (877.8 m) |
| Coordinates | 35°25′59″N 82°15′02″W / 35.43306°N 82.25056°WCoordinates: 35°25′59″N 82°15′02″W / 35.43306°N 82.25056°W |
| Area | 6,807 acres (2,754.7 ha) |
| Established | May 4, 2005 |
| - Renamed | July 28, 2007 |
| Management | North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation |
  Location of Chimney Rock State Park in North Carolina
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| Website: Chimney Rock State Park | |
Chimney Rock State Park is a North Carolina state park in Chimney Rock, Rutherford County, North Carolina in the United States. The 6,807-acre (27.55 km2) park is located 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Asheville, North Carolina, and is owned by the state of North Carolina.
It offers hiking trails for all skill levels, spectacular views, the Devil's Head balancing rock and a 404-foot (123 m) waterfall, Hickory Nut Falls. Its most notable feature is a 315-foot (96 m) rock formation, a granite monolith, Chimney Rock, accessible by elevator and providing views of the park and surrounding countryside.
In May 2005, the North Carolina General Assembly authorized the creation of the "Hickory Nut Gorge State Park." In August 2005 the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy and The Nature Conservancy purchased a 1,568-acre (6.35 km2) tract of land south of Lake Lure known as "World's Edge" for $16 million with the intention of transferring the land as the first to be added to the new state park. World’s Edge contains a mile-long set of steep slopes on the eastern edge of the Blue Ridge Escarpment (an escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains), with more than 20,000 feet (6,100 m) of streams and waterfalls. From an overlook point, the land falls away to provide a stunning view of the Piedmont. The area provides habitat for rare flowers, diverse forest communities, endangered bats and salamanders, unique cave-dwelling invertebrates, and birds such as peregrine falcons and migratory neotropical species. Transfer of the World's Edge tract to state ownership was completed in 2006.
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