Latest happenings:
 
Lake Lure will be electing a new town Mayor soon.
Fairfield Mountains is now named Rumbling Bald.
Point of View Restaurant is the most excellent place to eat with a fantastic gourmet chef.
Developers are coming to the Blue Ridge Mountains as baby boomer begin to buy more and more property and plan for retirement.

Did you know:

The town of Buffalo used to sit along the river where the lake is now located. It was a small mining and farming community that also catered to travelers using the pass in Hickory Nut Gorge to head west. When Dr. Morse built the dam on the river, the town was flooded and now sits about 100 feet below. A majority of the houses and building were removed, but a few were left behind and so remain today.

A small bridge is the only link to the one island of Lake Lure, named Yacht Island but also known as Pig Island or Snake Island. The story goes that before the dam was built the island was a 175-foot hill. As the lake began to fill, all the animals sought higher, dryer ground. Once the desired level of the lake was reached, the top of the hill was now a small island. Dr. Morse decided the island was a great location to create a yacht club or amusement park. When he arrived on the island, he discovered an extremely large population of snakes had found refuge from the rising water. To remedy the problem, Dr. Morse hired a local farmer to place pigs on the island to remove the snakes. After about a year, when Dr. Morse returned, the snakes were gone but the pigs had multiplied. 

Lake Lure has been the backdrop for many motion picture hits such as Dirty Dancing, Last of the Mohicans, A Breed Apart, and more. 

Movie Locations

There's a reason why film makers since the days of D.W. Griffith and Cecil B. DeMille have made their way to the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure area. Our sparkling lakes, rushing streams, and spectacular waterfalls, all set in rugged, deep-forest mountains, are a feast for the camera's eye. Recent movies filmed on location the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area are: Dirty Dancing For the 1987 hit Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey danced right here, in the blue waters of Lake Lure, beneath a mountain moon. You can enjoy the scene from the comfort of a tour boat on a romantic moonlight cruise. The footbridge and the foundations of camp buildings used in exterior shots for the film can also be seen about 1/2 mile from Four Seasons Cottages. To reach the location by land, take Boys Camp Road and turn right on Chapel Point Road. Last of the Mohicans The 1992 epic romantic adventure Last of the Mohicans starred Daniel Day-Lewis and Madeleine Stowe. From the stunning opening shot looking out on the hazy folds of the Blueridge, to the dramatic final scenes set against the backdrop of rugged Rumbling Bald Mountain, Last of the Mohicans made spectacular use of the natural beauties of Chimney Rock Park and the Hickory Nut Gorge. During your visit to Chimney Rock Park, you will be able to walk along the trails and see sites that became the incredible scenic backdrop for the film. The last 17 minutes of the movie were filmed along the Cliff Trail, including the climatic fight scene at the top of Hickory Nut Falls. Ask at the park ticket plaza for a written guide, and enjoy the views from locations where key scenes were filmed along hiking trails in the park. Ask, too, about annual Last of the Mohicans fan gatherings in the park. A Breed Apart A Breed Apart 1984 Kathleen Turner, Rutger Hauer, and Powers Boothe This visually beautiful eco-interest film, distributed more broadly in Europe than the US, was shot almost entirely on and around Lake Lure. The film's wildlife and adventure scenes were shot in wooded areas, along the trails, and atop the heights of Chimney Rock Park. Powers Boothe scales both Chimney Rock and Hickory Nut Falls in the film, and Rutger Hauer keeps watch over a rare eagle's nest located at Exclamation Point.The Dam Marina, located at the corner of Hwy 64/74A and Buffalo Shoals Road, was particularly recognizable as the setting for Kathleen Turner's store. Lake and mountain views from the marina were also featured. My Fellow Americans My Fellow Americans 1996 Jack Lemon, Jim Garner, Dan Aykroyd, and Lauren Bacall In their roles as two former presidents of the United States, on the run after escaping from kidnappers, Jack Lemon and Jim Garner go wandering ... where else? ... along a deserted stretch of the Rocky Broad River where it flows into Lake Lure. The path they followed runs through a natural stretch of Morse Park, located on a point of land near the Lake Lure Marina and crowned with the pavilion at Memorial Point. The town side of the park features beautifully landscaped gardens overlooking Lake Lure and the beach, and surrounded by spectacular mountains. To stroll through Morse Park, leave your car in the Lake Lure Marina parking area just off Highway 64/74A, and take the footpath. To reach the film location, follow the path as it curves to the left near the pavilion.   Rutherford County Line Rutherford County Line (Later retitled Damon's Law) 1987 Earle Owensby Based on the true story of super-tough Damon Husky, a Rutherford County Sheriff in the 1970's and 80's, this film was shot on location throughout the county. Firestarter Firestarter 1984 Drew Barrymore, David Keith, and George C. Scott When Drew Barrymore (as the young firestarter) and David Keith (as her father) went into hiding at her grandfather's camp, they drove down a stretch of highway 64/74A overlooking Lake Lure. The hideout cottage, with its unusual footbridge/dock where David Keith struggled with the kidnappers, can be seen from the tour boat at the east end of Sunset Cove. The house, footbridge, and two background trees still stand. The trees have grown, the house has been remodeled a bit, but the footbridge looks just as it did in the movie. The stone gates and bridge at the entrance of Chimney Rock Park were also used in the film.