Waterfall Hero Hikes: Hickory Nut Falls (Chimney Rock)

Hickory Nut Falls is a tall waterfall on Fall Creek in Rutherford County. The waterfall is located in Chimney Rock State Park near the town of Lake Lure.

Hike Length: 1.4 miles
Estimated Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Moderate
Location: Chimney Rock State Park
Trail Users: Hiking only
Dogs: Allowed if on a ≤ 6 foot leash
Features: Waterfalls (1)
Crowds: High
Warnings: The rocks around the waterfall are very slippery.
Trailhead GPS: 35.43113,-82.24868
Waterfall GPS: 35.43323,-82.25948

Directions:

To visit the falls, head east from Asheville on I-40 and take exit 53B to US-74 Alt. Follow US-74 Alt for about 20 miles to Chimney Rock Village and turn right to enter the park. The park office is on the right and the entrance gate is about a mile past the turn. After paying admission, continue up to the last parking lot up the mountain. If you are unable to park here, there is a shuttle from the lower parking lot or you can hike up Four Seasons Trail.

Map:

Hike Description:

The hike begins at the last switchback in the road heading up the mountain before reaching the parking area. Hickory Nut Falls Trail leads along the gorge to the waterfall. Four Seasons Trail splits off in a quarter-mile and leads down to the lower parking lot. The first views of the falls appear before reaching the end of the trail.

The trail ends at an observation platform at the base of the falls. The park claims that waterfall is over 400 feet, but it's closer to 250 feet high from the viewing deck to the top of the waterfall. Not sure what they're counting as the bottom. It's a beautiful waterfall nonetheless, especially with good water flow.