Chimney Rock — Local services in Bayard

Interesting thing to see as you're passing through the area. I wouldn't go out of my way for it, but it's fine enough to take a look and head out. Across the street from the cemetery is a new nice parking lot with a trail system around the chimney rock. There was even a person there who welcomed us when we arrived. Dogs are allowed on the trails but they have to be leashed. You can see the chimney rock from a distance so if you wanted to just take a pic and move on, it's easy enough to do that. There are snakes near these trails so if you have children or dogs with you, make sure they stay on the trail. There is no shade on these trails, so make sure to bring water...

It's a neat landmark with an old Cemetery off of a well maintained county road. The road to the visitors center is paved, the road to the cemetery is dirt. The original trail is near a steel fencepost opposite the cemetery and is a bit of a hike up and down through some gulleys. Keep an eye out for rattlers but the hike is fairly easy. They are in the process of building a new accessible trail but not sure when they will be finished. Crazy to think people passed this place in wagons and from the time they saw it to the time they arrived it was nearly a full day's travel due to the terrain and river...

My visit to Chimney Rock was fun, but it was mainly disappointing for several reasons. You really can't visit the actual rock itself in the summer time due to the presence of thick vegetation with venomous snakes. The rock formation was nice to observe from a distance, but it would have been better if there was a more improved means of getting to its summit. Also, Chimney Rock is really in the middle of nowhere which can make accessing it even more difficult for novice travelers. I would say that the historical significance and reputation of the place itself to early American pioneering was more...