Natural Wonders like Chimney Rock (NC) Abound near Asheville in Western North Carolina

Just 25-miles southeast of Ashville, North Carolina, one can enjoy any number of hiking trails in Chimney Rock Park. The rock itself, which can be reached by an easy path or on a professional climber guided-ascent, offers views for 75-miles around in this breathtaking forested area of western North Carolina. The park is composed of 1,000-acres of sheer beauty and offers climbing opportunities to beginners, pros and anyone in between.

After climbing back down from the gigantic formation that inspired the name for Chimney Rock Park, one can cool off in the mists at the bottom of the 404-foot Hickory Nut Falls, (which is less than a mile hike from the top of the falls down.).

The natural splendor of Chimney Rock, (NC) has inspired Hollywood to camp out in the state for filming productions like A Breed Apart and The Last of the Mohicans, thus helping make North Carolina the third most-filmed-in state of the country.

The privately owned park receives school field trips and offers classroom visits to area schools. Additionally the park has programmed activities for home school children for structured park-based learning every second Monday.

The beautiful scenes from Chimney Rock (NC) are singular but not unique in the wondrous wilderness of this part of the state where the Appalachians, Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains can all be explored.

If one is seeking solitary enchantment in the woods, spacious homes at varied price-ranges can be found throughout the area of Chimney Rock Park and Lake Lure. The lake, which covers about 720-acres and has 21-miles of shoreline, has been called one of the Earth's most beautiful man-made lakes by National Geographic.

Once can also settle down in nearby Asheville, NC, in Buncombe County, where various architectural and historic attractions can be found as well as unique shopping boutiques thanks to the thriving artist community living here. While the majority of houses, apartments or condos in Asheville were built after 1961, Asheville is no small town, with a population of more than 72,000 people. After large growth in the nineties it continued to attract new inhabitants in this decade with 5% growth from 2000 to 2005. Options around education exist in this small city. In addition to the public school system private schools with innovative experiential learning approaches can be found.

While located near many wondrous natural areas like Chimney Rock (NC), Asheville is only 80.6 miles to Knoxville, Tennessee to the west and 99.8-miles to Charlotte toward its east.

Whether one is looking to settle down or have a quiet getaway, western North Carolina is a beautiful destination.