Chimney Rock State Park - Rumbling Bald — Attraction in Old Fort

We had a great time hiking and climbing at Rumbling Bald! We started off on the west side boulder field, which involved an easy approach hike of about 15-20 minutes from the trailhead with a little bit of elevation change. To get there, just follow the easily visible signs for west side boulder field.

Once we got to the west side field, the boulders were decently close together, but it was definitely necessary to have a guide to find the problems. The problems were all very fun, but felt a lot harder than their grades. This could owe to the heat and humidity of early May reducing friction on the rock. So if you're planning to come here any time other than the fall-winter high season, keep in mind that you won't be getting optimal rock condition due to the humidity.

After half a day at the west side, we continued on the loop trail toward the east side boulder field, which is sparser than the west side. However, since those boulders were harder to find, and because of the humidity, we decided to finish up the hike instead of climbing the east side boulders. Overall, the loop trail was about 2 miles long, and was easy-moderate and very enjoyable.

I would recommend the trail to anyone looking for a fun, family-friendly hike, and I'd recommend the boulders to any climber passing...

We intended to take the trail up to Chimney Rock (the flag pole) then go back for the trail to the waterfall. When we got to the top of the Chimney Rock trail, we noticed stairs and continued our journey. We found magnificent views and trail with a lot fewer people. We went to Exclamation Point and decided to take the entire trail back to the top of the falls. While we enjoyed the journey, the best view was about halfway to the falls, so if you are pressed for time, that’s a good place to turn around. I recommend going before the heat of the day and taking plenty of water. There are also more mosquitoes on the upper trail than directly to Chimney Rock, so bug spray might...

I love this park and the scenic views so high up overlooking Lake Lure! There is winding road up to the parking lot. You can take the steps up to the overlook or take the elevator. I recommend going through the short tunnel to the elevator. The elevator takes up to gift shop and small cafe which has excellent ice cream and sandwiches. Then outside to the overlook. You can hike further up the mountain or go back down and then hike to the waterfall. This is one of my favorite places. Close by is the Lake Lure gardens, shopping in the town of Chimney Rock, and the lake and boat tours in the town...