Chimney Rock State Park reopens early after landslide repairs

Chimney Rock State Park reopened at 8:30 a.m. June 3, two days ahead of the closure window that had been set to run through June 5 after a small landslide damaged the park’s main road. Heavy rain during Memorial Day weekend triggered the slide and forced the shutdown of access to the Chimney Rock section.

The earlier reopening matters well beyond the park gates. For Buncombe County residents mapping out summer day trips, it restores one of the region’s most recognizable drives and gives visitors a quicker path back to Hickory Nut Gorge, Lake Lure and the 315-foot freestanding rock spire that anchors the park’s draw. During the repairs, the Rumbling Bald Trail area remained open, but the main attraction had been cut off while crews worked on the road.

James Ledgerwood, the park superintendent, has been overseeing a place that has spent much of the past two years in recovery mode. After Hurricane Helene devastated surrounding communities in 2024, state officials announced that Chimney Rock State Park and the Chimney Rock attraction would reopen June 27, 2025, exactly nine months after the storm. That reopening came with reservation-only access and limited hours, reflecting how carefully the State of North Carolina has tried to bring the park back online while the region rebuilt around it.

Gov. Josh Stein tied that earlier reopening to a broader tourism push, saying the park would draw visitors back and help support western North Carolina’s recovery. That same logic now applies to the faster-than-expected return of full access after the landslide repairs: every open trail, roadside stop and overnight booking in Chimney Rock and Lake Lure carries weight for nearby businesses still dependent on steady summer traffic.

The park’s quick turnaround also offers a small but meaningful boost to regional trip planning. Instead of waiting out the full June 1 to June 5 closure, families and day-trippers can once again plan around a fully reopened Chimney Rock State Park, with its main road restored and the signature overlook back in reach. In a stretch of Western North Carolina still measuring recovery in openings and repairs, that is a practical win as much as a symbolic one.