Dramatic cliff in NC mountains could become a national attraction, buyers say

A thin strip of North Carolina that easily qualifies as dangerous has been purchased by one of the few groups capable of appreciating a cliff: A bunch of rock climbers.

At a price of $17,500 an acre, the Carolina Climbers Coalition and Access Fund pooled resources to buy the Lower Ghost Town cliffs in hopes of making the Village of Chimney Rock a national climbing destination.

The unusual 16.5-acre purchase in Rutherford County is being cheered by conservationists, who note the state’s mountaintops are being loved to death by developers.

“The property was previously slated for a 30+ home housing development. Without legal access or protection, one of North Carolina’s most striking natural areas was effectively closed to public recreation,” according to Alycia Andrade of the Carolina Climbers Coalition.

“Like many real estate transactions, it took the right timing, seller, and buyer. ... Nonprofits like ours can only purchase property at appraised value.”

Carolina Climbers Coalition has been trying to buy the cliffs for two decades, but it “was either slated for housing development or owned by someone unwilling to sell at appraised value,” Andrade said.

That dynamic began to change in 2023 when Chimney Rock Glamping purchased the lower Ghost Town property. The coalition and Access Fund promptly began working with the new property owners on climbing access, including plans to divide the parcel for conservation and public access.

Then came Hurricane Helene in late 2024, which gutted the local tourism industry.

Chimney Rock “went from 30+ booming businesses to zero overnight” and suddenly the idea of turning a cliff into a tourist attraction began making perfect sense to multiple stakeholders throughout the 14-mile-long Hickory Nut Gorge.

“The Chimney Rock Village TASK Force has created an impressive master plan for rebuilding the Village,” Mayor Peter O’Leary said in a release. “This climbing area will be a wonderful asset in that plan.”

Ghost Town mystique

Climbing enthusiasts discovered the “Ghost Town” cliffs in the mid 1970s when “a mock western amusement park” known as Silver City and Carson City was built below, the coalition says.

Remnants of the old Silver City Ghost Town tourist attraction no longer remain, but the name Ghost Town Cliffs stuck. (The site is one of two defunct “ghost town” attractions in the mountains, the other being the old Maggie Valley “Ghost Town in the Sky.”)

“The allure and mystique of Ghost Town began spreading via word of mouth (after) climbers discovered 400 immaculate faces, NC’s largest collection of cracks, black and orange streaked rock with severe overhangs, and a collection of atypical geologic formations all in a scenic setting over the Hickory Nut Gorge,” the coalition reports.

“Property sales in the early 2000s, and the growth of climbing brought on ‘no trespassing’ signs causing climbing in the area to fizzle, but climbers have not forgotten Ghost Town’s relevance.”

It eventually became clear that the only way to secure public access to the cliff was to buy it, the coalition says.

Chimney Rock Glamping bought the property intending to build a glamping operation below the cliff, and the company saw an opportunity to recoup some of the investment by selling what it didn’t need – namely, the cliff.

The coalition’s acreage includes land below and on top of Round Top Mountain, most of it “dominated by cliffs and steep hillsides.”

“Our purchase includes at least 50 established climbing routes, ranging from 15-foot boulders to 125-foot roped climbs — including one of the most difficult routes in North Carolina,” Andrade said.

That route, known as “The Ugly,” has never been “free climbed” to finish, she says.

A national destination

If all goes as planned, Chimney Rock will become a national climbing destination at a time when the region is still rebuilding. Helene hit the area in September 2024, “essentially leveling the Village of Chimney Rock,” the coalition reports.

Ghost Town Cliffs overlooks the town, with 25% now owned by the coalition and the other 75% on state parks land.

“Adjacent cliffs within Chimney Rock State Park reach up to 300 feet, though climbing there is not yet officially permitted,” Andrade says.

“If North Carolina State Parks opens climbing on their adjoining cliffs, Ghost Town could easily become a national destination. Combined with nearby Rumbling Bald, the Hickory Nut Gorge area would stand out as one of the Southeast’s premier climbing regions.”

The climbing season peaks in the winter, she says, which would be a perfect complement to Chimney Rock’s summer tourism industry, the coalition says.

Between the Lower Ghost Town and nearby Rumbling Bald in Lake Lure, climbers could spend a week scaling different cliffs in the region, which is about a 50-mile drive southeast from Asheville.

“The story of Lower Ghost Town is truly one of perseverance,” Daniel Dunn of the Access Fund said in a news release.

“The climbing community in North Carolina refused to give up on the dream of one day protecting and opening these exceptional cliffs, and that determination led to this historic win.”

Chimney Rock is about a 95-mile drive west from uptown Charlotte.

How to help

The Carolina Climbers Coalition is seeking donations to pay for Phase One of a development plan for Lower Ghost Town cliffs, which includes access trails and repayment of the land loan. To help, visit tinyurl.com/GhostTownFund.

This story was originally published November 27, 2025 at 5:38 AM with the headline "Dramatic cliff in NC mountains could become a national attraction, buyers say."