Lake Lure and Chimney Rock a Year After Helene
Chimney Rock, October 31, 2025
When I saw these words on the sides of cargo containers alongside the road with Chimney Rock in the background, I was overcome with emotion. More than a year after Helene hit, I finally was able to return to this small village that was so severely impacted. Though there is still so much work to be done, the restaurants and shops in the village are open again and they need people to come. When we got to town after our hike with Conserving Carolina (I’ll post about that soon), we decided we needed some coffee. The old coffee shop I used to go to was gone, but the Chimney Rock Smokehouse let the proprietor have a small area to sell his coffee. He had a sign by his cash register spelling out what happened. Their house and coffee shop was swept away along with their dog. They are raising funds to rebuild their home, but he said the community had been so helpful and supportive to them as they try and restart their lives. What the people here endured was beyond imaginable. It was a testament to the strength of those who call this area home that business are once again open, even though the lake and the road north to Bat Cave are still closed.
The first area we came to around Lake Lure was on the west side that is reachable from Tryon. We’d hiked all morning and decided to have lunch at the Lake House, which was open and filled with customers. The image on the left was the view of the lake from the restaurant. Though the water levels are still low, to help with dredging and restoration efforts, seeing water in the lake, clouds in the sky, and mountains in the distance made me feel hopeful. The image on the right shows a bridge into town and the efforts to shore up the banks on either side of the bridge.
Lake Lure Beach
As you can see from this photograph, the lake is still very low but much of the debris has been cleaned up. In fact, according to the town’s website they have cleaned up 1, 254,230 tons of sand, silt, and sedminet from the lake and 100,374 cubic yards of debris. I am looking forward to when the beach is open again and we can take our kayaks out from the boat launch around the corner. The marina is going to be rebuilt, and the beach building, lake, and beach should reopen to the public in the summer of 2026. The Lake Lure Inn and Spa across the street is open now, even though the beach is still closed. Although many areas are still closed or open only to residents, it still felt great to be there and to help this community through our patronage. I have always felt that Lake Lure is one of the most magical places I’ve visited. Please consider coming, even if it is just for a day, if Western North Carolina is part of your travel plans. They need our continued support!
Rocky Broad River By Chimney Rock
The Rocky Broad River is beautiful and generally calm, and was a favorite with fly fisherman before the storm, but during Helene it must have been terrifying. You can see how the rocks were tumbled about and how high the force of the water undercut the bank on the left. There are also lots of missing structures on the right.
Rocky Broad River Looking South from Chimney Rock
This is the view of the river looking south. They had to move the entrance for Chimney Rock to the bridge where we were standing, since the bridge for the entrance a short way up the road was swept into the river. I plan on going back to Chimney Rock soon, to see how things are there now.
Rocky Broad River Churning Over Boulders
The Rocky Broad River seemed to be churning over the rocks that it washed into itself during Helene. We had a few days of rain last week, but mostly we’ve been in a drought. It’s really hard to envision what the river must have looked like during the storm. Eye witnesses say it was a 30 foot wall of water. The coffee shop owner said they took shelter in the fire station and watched everything disappear in about thirty minutes. People must have been in. total shock seeing this devastating tragedy unfold. It must have seemed even more unreal than it did from where we live, and every bridge but one along Cane Creek was destroyed. Water is the source of life, but when there is too much precipitation–especially in the mountains which act as funnels, it can be absolutely terrifying. Yet on this day, the area was showing signs of coming back with the help of the community, disaster agencies, and countless volunteers. Lake Lure and Chimney Rock and the Hickory Nut Gorge were breathtaking places and they are coming back. Please support them in their efforts to reopen and plan a trip to the area next summer if you can.