Chimney Rock Exclamation Point and Skyline Trails Hike

[@smokymtngranny]

This filming is AWESOME.! Thank you 😎

[@MrMountainMan]

Glad you enjoyed, thank you for the feedback! 😀

[@Debb1963]

What a fantastic video!!! Great job! Thanks for sharing!! 😊

[@MrMountainMan]

Thank you I appreciate it, glad you enjoyed!

[@carolgrove390]

Beautiful video. Really enjoyed it. I didn't see a problem with shaking and turned out great. Thanks for sharing.

[@MrMountainMan]

Thank you for the feedback and glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching!

[@crockettoutwest3226]

Loved you video MMM. What a beautiful trail and wonderful views. Thanks for doing all the work and letting us just sit back and watch! PS: I LOVE "Last of the Mahicans" too!!

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes this is one of my favorite videos! I'm a big LOTM fan, so being able to have been on the original trail was a real treat. I plan on doing more from Chimney Rock in the future as well! Thanks for watching!

[@byronaarav2169]

You probably dont give a shit but does anyone know of a method to log back into an instagram account? I stupidly forgot my account password. I love any tricks you can offer me

[@defrocker]

I hiked the old cliff trail almost 15 years ago. The views were spectacular. Lake Lure in the distance was the site of another movie, Dirty Dancing.

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes that older trail was such an amazing experience. As you said, Lake Lure was the sight for part of filming the movie, 'Dirty Dancing' and there are a few souvenirs down in the town (t-shirts, etc) about the movie. Thanks for watching!

[@DanH616]

Thanks for adding in the original trail photos..much appreciated! They could make a mint doing private tours of the old trail.

[@MrMountainMan]

I tell you I wish they still had the old trail it was an amazing experience. You were literally on the side of the mountain. Unfortunately that meant it wasn't super safe, so when the state took over in 2007 they closed it. Thanks for watching!

[@DanH616]

@@MrMountainMan Compared to what they have in Zion, this appears so much safer. Perhaps it will come back in time.

[@DantheMountainMan]

The last time I was at Chimney Rock was before the state took it over. It was an amazing experience walking the old Skyline trail.

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes I wish they would have kept it and just made it safer. The new trail, albeit higher in elevation doesn't quite have the same 'wow' factor.

[@marvincarlton2678]

The scenery is beautiful and the views are stunning! Thanks for sharing this hike.

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes the views from up top were amazing, thanks for watching!

[@nyokasmith6611]

Gorgeous !!!!!! The movie is one of my VERY favorite..... I love that you play the music..... !! I was really hoping to see the place where the fight scene took place between Uncas and Magwa.... but just to see where the movie took place is really exciting.... at 75 I could never hike all those stairs.... so this is the next best thing.... thanks so much !!!

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes I love Chimney Rock so much for the Last of the Mohicans nostalgia! In fact I like to play the soundtrack when driving there. The pictures at the end of this video should show the edge of the waterfall where that fight took place. I have other Chimney Rock videos on my channel as well including one from this fall where I have the music again. Thanks for watching!

[@nyokasmith6611]

@@MrMountainMan Well geeeee.... I guess I didn't make it all the way to the end of the video!! I did recognize the spot of the fight!!! Thanks so much for giving me a heads up so I could go back and check it out....!!!

[@KentuckyGirl]

Mr. Mountain man you knocked it out of the park with this one. Good video

[@MrMountainMan]

Thanks for the feedback! 😀 Chimney Rock is such a great place!

[@brittyn]

Thanks for documenting this! I’ve been a fan of Last of the Mohicans since I was a kid when it was released. It’s one of my favorites too so I’ve always wanted to come here. I’m sad they’ve closed the original trail used in the movie. As beautiful as it still is, I can’t justify traveling from the west coast ☹️

[@MrMountainMan]

So glad you enjoyed it and the parts from Last of the Mohicans as well! The original trail was awesome, but it's still fun to hike the new version as well. Thanks for watching!

[@keirstenbooboo2616]

the original trail needs to be reopened. thats the only reason i came only to be disappointed and to a so called broken elevator that the workers were using???? wont be back cant use elevator cant see original trails etc...

[@keirstenbooboo2616]

and seeing this video gives me another reason not to go back ive seen it all for free

[@MrJrd304]

Never been there but definitely on the to-do list. Great vid

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes Chimney Rock is amazing. Thanks for watching!

[@ritalockett9788]

I just subscribed to your channel. Wow,what a hike. The views were beautiful. The trails seem so dangerous. I really enjoyed the video,I will have to check on some more of your videos.Thanks for sharing.

[@MrMountainMan]

Thanks for watching! Yes Chimney Rock is a beautiful place.

[@chelle5049]

Great video!! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@MrMountainMan]

You bet and happy you liked it, thank you for watching!

[@JustOutnAbout]

Awesome hike, beautiful place. I'm sure I have been there a long time ago when I was younger but don't remember much. Definitely need to stop there Again! ~Dawn

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes it's a beautiful location in North Carolina!

[@HandsFullHeartFull]

First time on your channel Mr. Mountain man. We live in Union county North Carolina and have been to chimney rock many times. Great place no doubt. Love the channel and subscribed!!!

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes WNC is my favorite place anywhere I love it. Thanks so much for watching and hope you enjoy the content!

[@RamblingTim]

I really enjoyed your videos. Good Job. Next week I am going to visit Chimney Rock. I hope to make it as least to Devil Head, don't know about going any farther because of time. My wife said she will sit in the car because she doesn't like height. She gives me a 4-hour time limit. I sure I can take the steps up to the devil's head but not anymore. New Subscriber

[@MrMountainMan]

I hope you have a great time at Chimney Rock! If you decide to take the elevator up, it's not much farther of a hike to Devil Head and further. Might be best to save time.

[@Huskytrailsandtails]

Great video mountain man as they all are.

[@MrMountainMan]

Thank you for the positive feedback, I appreciate it!

[@lauracox7972]

Thank you for the hiking video! CRSP is my happy place & I have walked every trail in the Park countless times over the years, including the old Skyline Trail. I must respectfully disagree with you about how strenuous, or not, that the trails are. The new Skyline Trail is much more taxing & strenuous because of the steepness of it's ups & downs, the old Skyline Trail was a lot more fun & even & not too narrow or any more dangerous than any other, as long as people stayed attentive and away from it's edges. The old pool at the top & bridge & stairs down the side of the upper cataracts of the waterfall (what you see at the end of the newer Skyline Trail) were nice & you could actually walk right up to the falls. Also, instead of having to retrace back down through Exclamation Point, the old Skyline was a loop trail & would take you through Wildcat Trap & almost back to the trail's beginning at the Chimney Rock. I loved it & wish it was still open. If you enjoy strenuous though, go back down to the Meadow and hike up the Four Seasons Trail(hiking down it is not as hard), I would not recommend it for those with breathing issues, it is beautiful though with some boulders that would dwarf a small house. Again, thank you for taking us there in this video, especially us who can't visit nearly as often as we would like.

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes I absolutely love Chimney Rock! I got to have a conversation not long ago with a Park Ranger from there that was like a history book of the place before and after it was bought by the state. He wants to get parts of the old trail back available, but of course as the state owns it, it would have to be a much modified and safer version. As far as the difficulty of the trails, it's for sure subjective. I try to report it as I see it but avid hikers probably think the place is jokingly easy, and other folks maybe not used to hiking could feel overwhelmed. Thankfully there really is something for everyone and that's why it's such an awesome place. Make sure to check out my video of the town below if you haven't seen it (and I have 2 other CRSP videos on the channel too). Thanks for watching!!

[@lauracox7972]

@@MrMountainMan If you are really interested in the history of Chimney Rock, get yourself a copy of Todd Morse's book 'For the Love of Chimney Rock '. His family is the one that originally bought the land & made the mountain into Chimney Rock State Park. Copies can often be found in Old Rock Cafe and Gale's in Chimney Rock Village.

[@MrMountainMan]

@@lauracox7972 Yes I have gotten that book! I actually checked it out from our local library here in town. Admittingly I didn't read the whole thing. It was a little slow at 1st with the old history, I should have probably skipped a few chapters to the latter part of the 20th century. Always vowed I'd go back someday and read it in full. Great suggestion.

[@OurShowOurStory]

You did a great job on walking and filming! I can't walk on the pavement without a stabilizer...

[@MrMountainMan]

Thanks for the positive feedback, I appreciate it!

[@olentangy74]

Hey Mountain Man, I am planning a trip there either this summer or early fall. Last of the Mohicans is just about my all time favorite film. The section where the film's climax takes place, the cliffs were Hawkeye pursues and overtakes the captors, and where Hawkeye's father and Magua have the final duel, is that area open to the public still? That is half of my reason for visiting the place! Thanks.

[@MrMountainMan]

Hello! So many of the actual scene locations unfortunately are part of the old Skyline Cliffs trail which I show pictures at the end of this video and it's no longer open. The new Skyline trail that reopened in 2017 after the state bought the park is much safer but does bypass a lot of those film locations. That end scene as I understand is supposed to take place at the top of Hickory Nut Falls. The end of the current Skyline trail does end up at the top of the falls as I had shown. Regardless of being able to see the actual locations I must say the whole of Chimney Rock in general just feels like the all the scenes from The Last of the Mohicans and probably why I like going there so much. In that respect it's totally worth it. There are several sites that speak to the film locations. They are a bit older but you might like to read them. Here is one: www.mohicanpress.com/on_location_at_crp.html That is too one of my top 5 favorite movies!

[@olentangy74]

Yeah, I did some research after watching your video. There were two fatalities on that trail, one on 1994, and one in 2008, both of them were children. this Covid 19 situation totally sucks. Right now, the elevator is closed, and they are only letting so many people in on a first come system. It looks like I probably won't go this year. This may be a summer with literally no place to go.The Biltmore is closed, every single tourist destination from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, and clear up through New England is closed. Hell, the frigging GRAND CANYON, is closed. Unbelievable.

[@MrMountainMan]

@@olentangy74 Yeah so I've talked about a few of the Chimney Rock updates during my 'News and Notes' on my weekly LiveStream. When we went to Chimney Rock I was worried about the limited capacity and they weren't even close. I think they said that but right now it hasn't been an issue to get into the park. The elevator being closed is rough for getting to the top trails as one would have to hike up the Chimney (which I've done) but it's like going up many flights of stairs. However it technically is possible to get the top trails but it would be a long day as 2 of the trails to get to Skyline on 'Strenuous.' Those 2 lower hikes I went on in my more recent Chimney Rock video are open and accessible directly from the parking lot and lead to the bottom of Hickory Nut Falls. So I'm a nutshell as you said its going to be a limited year. Chimney Rock keeps their site updated and the status of what's open, plus I'll try to keep people posted in my LiveStreams.

[@KevinFryAdventures]

Nice job on the video! I am heading down to the Smokies tomorrow & going to check this out as well. I just subbed!

[@MrMountainMan]

Thanks for the positive feedback and the sub! The mountains have a ton of great fun things to do so have a great time!

[@azrock235]

What a beautiful state park! I would have been way more out of breath than you were on that trail with the steps! Such awesome views there were. The movie that you mentioned I need to watch as a I do not think I ever have seen The Last of The Mohicans. I liked how you had old pictures from years ago when you were there to show us what you were talking about as far as being more dangerous back then. It was nice to see the comparison in your pictures. ( when you said killed on the old trail, did you mean accidentally or murdered?) I am almost caught up with all your videos. Thank you for all you do.

[@MrMountainMan]

Yes Chimney Rock is such a beautiful place to visit. The movie that had some scenes there, 'The Last of the Mohicans' is a great movie from 92' taking place during the French /Indian War. The person that was killed on that old trail was an accident I believe and I think it was a young person. That old trail you had to pay attention as on some parts it was like a cliff off to the side and a bit dangerous. I'm really glad I was able to find those old pictures of the original trail. Thanks for watching!

[@azrock235]

Mr. Mountain Man you are very welcome and thank you for your response!

[@tamranewman6397]

We hiked the original trail in '96 and it was gorgeous. It was more rugged, and felt more like mt hiking. I'm glad I got to do it. I would not care to walk this new one. Looks like your mainly on a path with not many challenges. Most of the breathtaking views are gone. The state should have left it alone. I'm sorry for the deaths that happened. But it did warn you about the dangers and risks. I'll get a lot of feedback on this comment, but if you can't control your kids and they can't obey safety warnings no one should have been on that trail. Those incidents is what ruins things for everyone else.

[@MrMountainMan]

The original Skyline-Cliffs trail was incredible, but certainly dangerous. In the era of litigation and liability it's really hard for any public entity to have such a place unfortunately. It all started with a spilled cup of hot coffee at McDonalds years ago... All that aside, there are some great books on the history of Chimney Rock and the original owners that sold it to the state. Thanks for watching!

[@r.fantom]

Wait, can you walk the path they used in the movie? To get on the top, that large waterfall there?

[@MrMountainMan]

Unfortunately you can not go on the original path from the movie. That old trail had an accident in the 2000's and then when ultimately bought by the state they deemed that path too dangerous and closed it. The new path is still up high, but much safer. Having talked to a park ranger there is a desire someday to upgrade that old path to be walkable again, but nothing imminent. Thanks for watching, and make sure to check out my other hike there! kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmq1nISBjtKmp5o

[@r.fantom]

@@MrMountainMan Oh crap, I hope it will be fixed soon, I plan to visit, and I am large Last of the Mohicans fan.

[@MrMountainMan]

@@r.fantom Yeah it may be years before they reopen it if ever from what I understand. Have no worries though you can still go to the top just like this video and see Hickory Nut Falls where the final scene was made from LoTM! Just being there is actually really cool, and all has the vibe of the movie.

[@bluelivesmatter8836]

I just did the 500 stairs cuz the elevator is closed, it wasn’t really bad. Although, it was very tiring.

[@MrMountainMan]

Yeah I've done that one and it's a workout!

[@RamblingTim]

I made the trip a couple weeks ago. Loved it. I skipped the 499 steps and took the elevator. I was lucky and had the Chimney to myself for 10 minutes, Later when I looked at it there were 50 people on it. I am older age 69 but I hit the stair to the Opera House and then Devil Head and then to Exclamation Point. Had to take a couple of breaks but took a lot of photos and videos of the great view of the Chimney from the steps. Skipped the Skyline trail because of the time factor, had to be at Cumberland falls in Kentucky that evening. Went back down and took the Hickory Nut Trail. I probably was tired by then but to me, that was the hardest on me the incline and the 90 degrees heat made me take a couple 5 minutes breaks. Lucky again there were only 5 or 6 people at the falls there so I got some decent pictures, Going back down the trail back was a piece of cake because it downhill. I meet probably 50 people coming up to the waterfalls and several were taking a break. The downhill walk rested me up so much I took the 172 steps back up to the parking lot with no trouble at all. Thank You Mr. Mountain Man for your great video. So far I have only made one short video of my trip there. I put the Star Spangle Banner in a video of the view of the flag from several spots from my hike.

[@MrMountainMan]

Wow sounds like an excellent time and recap of your time at Chimney Rock! Glad you were able to do so much and enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!