While I have seen the feature film "The Last of the Mohicans" and thoroughly enjoyed not only the story, but also much of the majestic scenery shot for the film, I had to take advantage of visiting Chimney Rock State Park near Asheville, NC while visiting my mother-in-law for Christmas. Leaving around noon, my wife and I drove the hour and half or so to the park through some truly beautiful country. When we finally reached the Rocky Broad River cutting through the Hickory Nut Gorge, where the Chimney Rock stands an eternal vigil overlooking the valley below, I was struck by many memories of scenery from the movie. The sheer cliffs, over which Hickory Nut Falls runs are quite stunning.
Having crossed the river, we made our way up the winding mountain road through the park to the bottom of the elevator that would take us up to the Chimney Rock feature itself. An easy walk through a manmade cave took us directly to the elevator door, and then a 26 story elevator ride took us up to the main visitor area around the Chimney Rock. The views of the river valley from up there are broad and sweeping. The short stairway climb to the top of the feature revealed a natural wonder. The Chimney Rock appears like a free-standing thumb, attached but also independent of the neighboring cliffs. I would have expected the top of the feature to have been sanded off and paved over into a smooth surface, but to my pleasant surprise, it has been left alone. Other than installing a rod-iron railing and an American flag at the top, the feature has been left pretty much intact as it has probably appeared for countless millennia. This was refreshing, though entirely unexpected.
We snapped a few pictures of the gorgeous view and made our way back down the elevator to the car. While it was a little bit of a drive to get here, the views made it all worthwhile. I hope to return at some point in the future to explore some of the trails in the park.
