Brigadoon

Travel guide · North Carolina

Lake Lure, Chimney Rock & Bat Cave

Lake Lure, Chimney Rock and Bat Cave share the Hickory Nut Gorge southeast of Asheville, and Hurricane Helene hit them as hard as anywhere. As of October 2026 the lake and Chimney Rock State Park are open again, the village is rebuilding and the roads are a construction zone. This is what is open, how to get in, and where to stay.

Travel guide · North Carolina

Asheville

Asheville sits at about 2,134 feet where the Swannanoa River meets the French Broad, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. It has the Biltmore Estate, the Blue Ridge Parkway along its eastern edge, the River Arts District and a brewing scene that draws visitors on its own. Hurricane Helene flooded both rivers in September 2024; two years on, most of what visitors come for is open again, and this guide says what still isn't.