Rutherford County Tourism Shows Signs of Strong Recovery After Helene

Rutherford County is seeing encouraging signs of recovery as tourists return to the area, with local tourism and business leaders reporting increased visitation throughout the summer.

The county’s tourism industry was on a record-setting pace before Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina in September 2024. While the storm caused significant damage throughout Rutherford County, the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock areas were particularly hard hit.

Nearly two years later, recovery efforts continue, and tourism officials say visitors are steadily returning.

Don Cason, Rutherford County’s head of economic and tourism development, said tourism-related revenues in June were approximately 15% higher than the same month in 2025. Over the previous five months, tourism-related revenues were up approximately 12% compared with the same period last year.

Despite the improvement, Cason said tourism remains about 40% below the record levels seen before Hurricane Helene and expects it could take several more years to fully recover.

“Recovery does not happen overnight,” Cason said, while emphasizing that meaningful progress is being made.

Visitors Discovering More Than Lake Lure

Lake Lure and Chimney Rock State Park continue to attract visitors, but tourism leaders say people are increasingly discovering Rutherford County’s other communities as well.

Christy Houser, owner of Mill Hill General Store in downtown Rutherfordton, said her business has seen an increase in visitors specifically taking day trips to explore Rutherfordton and the surrounding communities.

Houser said many visitors have told her they discovered the store and downtown Rutherfordton after seeing the community featured in Our State Magazine earlier this year.

Visitors this summer have come from across North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as states including Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Houser also serves as president of Rutherford Town Rising, a nonprofit organization promoting downtown Rutherfordton.

Forest City Seeing More Visitors

Forest City is also experiencing increased tourism, according to Amy Bridges, the town’s downtown and community development manager.

Bridges said many visitors have family connections to the area, while others are looking specifically for new small-town experiences.

The town's Pavilion on Park Square, commonly known as POPS, continues to attract visitors, along with the Carolina Arcade Museum and special events.

Recent events, including a Scotty McCreery concert at POPS and the Cherry Bounce Festival, brought visitors from outside the county.

Forest City is also preparing for its annual Hot Nights, Cool Rides Car Show, which attracts spectators and participants from throughout the Southeast. The town's popular Christmas light display draws thousands of visitors between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.

According to recent guest books at Forest City businesses, visitors have traveled from states as far away as Arizona, Arkansas and North Dakota.

A County Still Rebuilding

While the tourism industry continues to recover from Hurricane Helene, local leaders say the county's variety of attractions remains one of its greatest strengths.

From mountain scenery and Lake Lure to trails, outdoor recreation and small-town Main Streets, tourism officials believe Rutherford County offers visitors plenty of reasons to stay, explore and return.

Cason said the county's long-term Raise the Rock master plan is helping guide recovery and strengthen the area's tourism industry.

For local businesses, the return of visitors represents more than increased sales. It is also a sign that communities heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene are rebuilding and moving forward.

Tourism leaders remain optimistic that continued growth will bring Rutherford County closer to its pre-storm tourism levels in the years ahead.

For now, the message from local leaders and business owners is clear: Rutherford County is open, welcoming visitors and ready to be discovered.