![]() It’s a massive, vertical circular slab that rises dramatically into the sky. We needed to use a lot of tricks (“there’s a butterfly waiting for you at the top of those steps”), but our kids climbed every step to the top by themselves.Ĭhimney Rock is the park’s signature granite outcropping. With all those stairs on the Outcroppings Trail, it was a little slow going with our kids. (There is an elevator to the top if ~500 stairs seems too much for your family…). There is an intermediate viewpoint halfway up the Outcroppings Trail called Pulpit Rock which provides a little taste of what is to come.Īccording to a sign at the beginning, the Outcroppings Trail has approximately 500 stairs, but to be honest it felt quite a bit shorter than that. The Outcroppings Trail isn’t really a trail, it’s mostly just stairs. We wanted to regain some energy for the big climb up the Outcroppings Trail to the Chimney Rock Lookout. Once at the top, we stopped and had a break for lunch. ![]() Our 5 year old daughter climbed the stairs all by herself, but our 3 year old son needed to be picked up for parts of it. It wasn’t very long before we arrived at the long set of stairs leading to the main entrance. Refreshed from their break and now hiking downhill, the kids literally ran back down the Hickory Nut Falls Trail. Once we were done admiring the towering waterfall, we turned back towards the main entrance. To this point, our Chimney Rock hiking had been all uphill and the kids had walked most of the way themselves, so the Hickory Nut waterfall was a nice break for them. We enjoyed the view from the viewing platform at the base of this beautiful Chimney Rock waterfall. We turned right and continued our hike for approx 1 more mile until we arrived at the Chimney Rock waterfall.įeatured in the Daniel Day Lewis film “ The Last of the Mohicans“, the Hickory Nut Falls are an impressive 404 feet tall. If you turn right, the hike continues towards Hickory Nut Falls. If you turn left, you’ll end up where the Chimney Rock shuttle bus would have dropped you off. The Four Seasons Trail ends at a T-intersection with the Hickory Nut Falls Trail. This kid-friendly activity kept her interested and moving forward on the Four Seasons Trail, even though she was a little tired from a poor night’s sleep. ![]() There was a Chimney Rock State Park pamphlet at the trailhead with a scavenger hunt in it, so our daughter had fun trying to find all the items in it. We have an entire post full of all our best tips for hiking with kids and this one with all the best hiking gear for kids. This is especially true at the end of the trail as it ends in one long uphill staircase. There are a few spots where the Four Seasons Trail becomes stairs and it becomes a bit of a workout. The hiking trail is about 1.4 miles (2.3km) long and has a gradual uphill slope. This moderate Chimney Rock trail winds through a beautiful deciduous forest on its way up the mountain. We always prefer to walk, so instead of taking the bus, we hiked up the Four Seasons Trail. Either hike from the parking lot to the top or take the Chimney Rock shuttle bus to the top. Once you buy your ticket to enter Chimney Rock, you have a choice to make. There’s plenty of kid-friendly hiking trails, amazing viewpoints, a super high waterfall and even a live animal exhibit featuring the fauna which call Chimney Rock home. Four Seasons TrailĪ visit to Chimney Rock State Park is one of the best things to do near Asheville with kids. Kid-Friendly Chimney Rock State Park Hikes 1.
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