VACATIONS MADE EASY : DESTINATIONS : GATLINBURG AREA : EVENT CALENDAR

Santa on the Chimney! at Chimney Rock Park near Gatlinburg, TN

Each year on the first and second Saturday in December you can see Santa???s Chimney Rappelling event at Chimney Rock State Park. Between the hours of 11 am and 2 pm Santa trains for his upcoming chimney descents around the world by rappelling down Chimney Rock. To get to Chimney Rock take US Route 74A to the town of Chimney Rock. There is about a 3 mile drive along a paved road full of twists, turns and switchbacks. Once you park, go through the tunnel to the elevator, or use the trail to the top of Chimney Rock located just past the gift shop. Mrs. Claus is usually greeting visitors between the gift shop and the rock tower, while Santa prepares himself for rappelling. You should stand near the deck railing to watch Santa leave the chimney top and begin his training exercise. Santa wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and is over the edge of the rock, as well as several times during his descent. After watching from the top, go to the bottom and watch Santa???s next descent from there. It???s a fun experience to watch Santa, there are also classes available to learn rappelling.

When:

December 12, 2009

Points of Interest

Chimney Rock Park near Gatlinburg, TN

Chimney Rock Park, located about 2 1/2 hours from Gatlinburg, TN, is the perfect place for hikers to venture through, experienced hikers can find challenging trails like the Skyline Trail, and more leisurely hikers can find easier trails like Hickory Nut Falls Trail.