Extreme Santa

Santa practicing before his big night. (Photo by Angela Stockdale)

You might as well know. To climb down all those chimneys around the world in a single night, Santa practices beforehand. You can watch him rappel from the top of Chimney Rock about every 30–45 minutes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 3 and 10. During these times, you can also meet Mrs. Claus and enjoy complimentary hot cocoa and cookies. There is no additional cost with paid park admission, which is free for children under age 5; $6 for youth ages 5–15; and $13 for adults.

Try the Great Woodland Adventure trail while you are there. Designed for kids and kids-at-heart, it features 12 discovery stations with locally made sculptures that educate guests on animals who call Chimney Rock home. Chimney Rock State Park is 25 miles southeast of Asheville in Hickory Nut Gorge. Hours and days of operation are different during the winter. To learn more, 1-800-277-9611 or chimneyrockpark.com.