Chimney Rock State Park
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| Rich cove forest in Chimney Rock State Park |
The views from the unusual high rock outcrop seemed to be the attraction and it had always seemed touristy, and hadn't been enough to lure either me or my gardening companion off I-26 between Asheville and Clemson before.
But a second visit today for my gardening companion and a first for me found a wonderland of rich cove forest wildflowers along the Four Seasons Trail and an acidic cove forest full of Gorge rhododendron (R. punctatum) in full flower. Totally fabulous. And, of course, there's a wonderful waterfall (Hickory Knob Falls) at the end of the hike.
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| Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) |
I haven't visited this Chimney Rock before, but there's a place of the same name on the Oregon Trail in Nebraska. Instead of green, it's prairies with -- yes -- a rock in the shape of a chimney as its centerpiece.
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