Chimney Rock State Park’s Outcroppings Trail offers hikers a series of staircases and lookout points threaded through a near-vertical boulder field. The strenuous .4 mile trail takes hikers to several points of interest including Vista Rock, the Grotto, Subway, Pulpit Rock, and Chimney Rock itself. After the 491-stair, 315-foot climb to the top, visitors are greeted with a sweeping view of Lake Lure and the Hickory Nut Gorge below.

There are a few interesting facts that many people do not know about this project. The parts were hauled to a lay-down yard inside of the park after entering the park and driving up the steep entrance. The parts were then flown up by helicopter and erected while the helicopter lowered them down on the anchor bolts and the areas required. The park was shut down during this erection, and it took several days and weeks to complete the project.

When improvements and repairs were needed to the many stairways and decks on the trail, hot dip galvanizing was chosen to rust-proof the supporting steel, helping protect the park’s investment and its visitors for decades to come. Chimney Rock is one of the top 20 attractions in North Carolina. More than 253,000 visitors came to the park in 2017. The number grows annually. Galvanizing provides the highest level of corrosion prevention with a natural aesthetic that blends with beauty of the environment.