Named one of the top 10 most beautiful man-made lakes in the world by National Geographic, Lake Lure is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Located about 27 miles from Asheville, Lake Lure sits in the Hickory Nut Gorge, surrounded by lush mountain tops and sheer granite cliffs. Look up to see the famous Chimney Rock. From the top of Chimney Rock, there are spectacular views of the lake and gorge. Look familar? Lake Lure was a filming location for scenes from the movies Thunder Road, Dirty Dancing, A Breed Apart, Forrest Gump, The Last of the Mohicans, The Passion of the Christ and Firestarter. It was also the site for HGTV Dream Home 2006.
The lake is owned by the town of Lake Lure, with private homes surrounding most of the lake. Access is provided via a town marina and park. You can rent a pontoon or electric boat, canoe or kayak at the marina. Guided tours of the lake are also available. It is open seven days a week from 10 AM to 6 PM between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. Call the Lake Lure Marina at 828-625-1373 for off-season hours. The nearby beach is also open seven days a week from 10 AM to 6 PM between Memorial Day and Labor Day. There is a small admission fee to enjoy the beach.
Take a relaxing walk on the boardwalk any time of the year (free). Enjoy a picnic by the lake. Nearby is shopping and restaurants in the village of Chimney Rock, great golf and fantastic hiking at Chimney Rock Park.
Directions: Lake Lure is located 27 miles from downtown Asheville. Follow I-240 East to Exit #9, Highway 74A East to Bat Cave and continue on Highway 74A to Lake Lure.
Fortunately, much of the mountain scenery surrounding the lake is being preserved. During the past few years, the N.C. General Assembly has created a new state park in the scenic Hickory Nut Gorge area. This area was designated as Chimney Rock State Park shortly after the state had acquired Chimney Rock Park in 2007, a private nature park surrounding the striking 315-foot spire on the gorge’s southern side. The greater Chimney Rock State Park currently encompasses roughly 3,500 acres on both north and south sides of the gorge and expansion efforts continue to bring more of the gorge’s rich natural resources into conservation. Ultimately, a master plan for the entire park will be devised to fully protect the natural heritage and offer outdoor recreation options.
Fun on the Lake
Lake Lure Adventure Company: Dedicated to providing a safe, fun, exciting, and adventurous experience on Lake Lure with watersport trips, wakeboard, wakesurf, waterski, kneeboard, tube, fishing and more.
Go to their Web site.
Lake Lure Tours: Located at the town marina with guided boat tours and boat rentals.
Go to their Web site.
History: At a Glance
History records that the idea of a resort community in western North Carolina was the vision of Dr. Lucius B. Morse. Soliciting the financial backing of his brothers, Dr. Morse purchased 400 acres around Chimney Rock in 1902 to create Chimney Rock Park. Additional acreage was acquired over the next several years to bring the total to 8,000 acres. Dr. Morse conceived the idea of building a dam on the Rocky Broad River to create a lake and a year-round resort. The dam was completed in September 1926, forming the lake which was named Lake Lure by Dr. Morse’s wife, Elizabeth Parkenson. The Town of Lake Lure was incorporated in 1927.
History: Detailed
The vision of a resort community in western North Carolina was by Dr. Lucius B. Morse. Poor health brought Dr. Morse to the gorge and it was from Chimney Rock in the early 1900s that the vision of a lake and a resort development came to be. The resort envisioned by Dr. Morse was to be developed by Chimney Rock Mountains, Inc. The centerpiece of this resort was to be a lake created by impounding the Rocky Broad River at Tumbling Shoals. This lake was to become Lake Lure. The lake was named Lake Lure by Dr. Morse’s wife, Elizabeth Parkenson.
Soliciting the financial backing of his brothers Hiram and Asahel, Dr. Morse proceeded to purchase Chimney Rock (400 acres) from Jerome Freeman in 1902 for $5,000 in the name of Chimney Rock Mountains, Inc. Subsequently the company acquired enough acreage in what is now the Lake Lure area to bring the total to 8,000 acres or 12.5 square miles, including the valley in which Lake Lure lies and the hills and mountains above. Dr. Morse and his wife Betty occupied the Cliff Dwellers Inn at Chimney Rock and continued to formulate his plans for the property. He conceived the idea of building a dam on the Rocky Broad River to create a lake and the possibility of a year-round resort. Carolina Mountain Power Company, all of whose common stock was owned by the Chimney Rock Mountains Inc was formed and the construction of the dam began by it in 1925 under the guidance of Mees & Mees, a Hydraulic Engineering firm from Charlotte, North Carolina. In return for this stock, Chimney Rock Mountains, Inc deeded to the power company the land and easements for the site of the dam and powerhouse, all of the inundated area of Lake Lure and ground for transmission lines to Turner’s Dam. The dam was completed in September 1926 and the creation of the lake began. The full impoundment of Lake Lure was completed in 1927. At ordinary water levels, Lake Lure covers approximately 720 acres and has a shoreline of approximately 27 miles. The power plant began operations in 1928 with the sale of electricity under a 10-year contract to Blue Ridge Power Co., the predecessor of Duke Power Co. The town continues even today to contract with Duke Power for the sale of electricity. The Town of Lake Lure was incorporated in 1927. As incorporated, the boundaries of the town included the entirety of Lake Lure. The North Carolina General Assembly has authorized the Town of Lake Lure to acquire and hold real property, and has express authority to regulate activities occurring on Lake Lure. Furthermore, the town has significant discretion in the exercise of its authority to protect or promote the health, morals, order, safety and general welfare of the Town of Lake Lure. The plans for a resort development came to a halt in 1929 with the failure of the economy. On October 24, 1929 banks foreclosed their mortgages. Following the foreclosures, the Standard Mortgage Company established the Lureland Realty Company to dispose of the property that had been secured by the property owned by Chimney Rock Mountains, Inc. One of the first acts of the Lureland Realty Company was an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the bed of Lake Lure. By January of 1942, the Lureland Realty Company had disposed of all of the property that had been owned by Chimney Rock Mountains, Inc. Stroud & Company continued to operate the Carolina Mountain Power Company. On August 12 1931, the assets of the Carolina Mountain Power Company were transferred to the Carolina Mountain Corporation. William C. Rommell, President of Stroud & Company, operated the Carolina Mountain Corporation from 1931 until Lake Lure was acquired by the Town of Lake Lure in 1965. The Town of Lake Lure had been operating the recreational facilities located at the lake for almost thirty years before Lake Lure was acquired by the town from the Carolina Mountain Corporation. There operations were based on a year-to-year lease arrangement between the Town of Lake Lure and the Carolina Mountain Corporations Powers. The acquisition by the town was facilitated by legislation enacted by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1963 that authorized the Town of Lake Lure to issue revenue bonds for the purpose of acquiring Lake Lure. The acquisition was completed on July 26, 1965. Property that once belonged to the Carolina Mountain Corporation was now the property of the Town of Lake Lure. This included all of the property which has been, or at any time hereafter may be, submerged by the dam erected across the Broad River at the site known as Tumbling Shoals, Chimney Rock Township, Rutherford County, North Carolina, lying below 995 feet above sea level, as based upon the official bench marks of the United States Geological Survey. This property, which comprises the bed of Lake Lure, lies within the limits of the Town of Lake Lure. |
