It's going to take years to recover." Chimney Rock, the tiny town roughly 25 miles southeast of Asheville that’s home to the iconic Chimney Rock State Park, was nearly wiped off the map by flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.

Lake Lure Flowering Bridge was a three-arch bridge built in 1925 to carry traffic between Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. When the bridge was decommissioned in 2011, volunteers worked together to preserve the bridge, and planted 30 themed gardens across the ...