Museums
House of Flags
No admission feeA flag museum in downtown Columbus, North Carolina, focused on flag etiquette and the history of the nation's flag.
Photo: Jmturner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.
Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
Ride an elevator up a 315-foot rock monolith for gorge views, then hike to the base of 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls.
174 Chimney Rock Park Rd · Chimney Rock, NC
About Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
Chimney Rock is a 315-foot gneiss monolith that you can reach by elevator, with scenic viewpoints at the top and along the cliffs. Trails lead to Hickory Nut Falls, a 404-foot waterfall, and climb to Exclamation Point and the Skyline Trail. The park also offers rock climbing for beginners through experts, an Animal Discovery Den and the Great Woodland Adventure trail. It reopened in June 2025 after Hurricane Helene damage closed it for nine months.
- #state park
- #hiking
- #waterfall
- #scenic views
- #rock climbing
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What's around here?
The closest stops to Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.
13 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums
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Swannanoa Valley Museum and History Center
No admission feeLocal history museum and archive serving the Swannanoa Valley in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
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Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
No admission feeWalk the farm where poet Carl Sandburg spent his last 22 years, tour his house and meet the dairy goat herd in the barn.
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Blue Ridge Parkway
No admission feeDrive a 469-mile mountain road along the Blue Ridge, stopping at overlooks, trails and visitor centers.
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North Carolina Arboretum
Under $25A botanical garden and arboretum inside the Bent Creek Experimental Forest near the Blue Ridge Parkway, with gardens, hiking trails, and seasonal events.
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Mount Mitchell State Park
No admission feeDrive almost to the top of the highest point east of the Mississippi, then walk a short paved path to the summit observation deck.
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