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Posted on: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 - 4:22pm |
Ask a Ranger: The Bewildering Bee

Contact the park
State park office
828-625-1823
chimney.rock@ncparks.gov
Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
800-277-9611
visit@chimneyrockpark.com
Addresses
Chimney Rock access
and park office
743 Chimney Rock Park Road
Chimney Rock, NC 28720
GPS: 35.4327, -82.2502
Rumbling Bald access
827 Boys Camp Road
Lake Lure, NC 29746
GPS: 35.4434, -82.2194
Eagle Rock access*
1911 Shumont Road
Black Mountain, NC 28711
GPS: 35.4722, -82.2423
Mailing address
P.O. Box 220
Chimney Rock, NC 28720
Hours
►
- January 1 to
March 9:
10:00am to 6:00pm
Ticket sales and admission end at 4:30pm
- March 10 to
November 2:
8:30am to 7:00pm
Ticket sales and admission end at 5:30pm
- November 3 to
December 31:
8:30am to 6:00pm
Ticket sales and admission end at 4:30pm
- Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day
- PLEASE NOTE: Operating hours for Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park are subject to change throughout the seasons. Visit this website or chimneyrockpark.com for up-to-date information when planning your visit.
►
- There is no fee for these accesses.
- January to February:
8:00am to 6:00pm
- March to April:
8:00am to 8:00pm
- May to August:
8:00am to 9:00pm
- September to October:
8:00am to 8:00pm
- November to December:
8:00am to 6:00pm
- Closed Christmas Day
Ask a Ranger: The Bewildering Bee
Click the player above to listen to the episode. Read on below for additional references to what Laura discusses in the episode.
Photos
Emerging worker honey bees
Photo courtesy of Laura Shields
A homemade mason bee house
Photo courtesy Laura Shields
Working the honey bee yard
Photo courtesy Laura Shields
Video
From PBS Digital Studios: "This Vibrating Bumblebee Unlocks a Flower's Hidden Treasure", Aired November 8, 2016
Links
- For more information about mason bees, visit the Crown Bees website »
- For more information about perdita minima, the "world's smallest bee," visit this US Forest Service web page »
NC State Extension publications
- The Bees of North Carolina: An Identification Guide by Hannah Levenson and Elsa Youngsteadt. NC State Extension Publications, published on December 16, 2019.
- Asian Giant Hornets in Washington State (What does it mean for North Carolina?) by Dr. Michael Waldvogel. NC State Extension, published in May 2020.
Books
- Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide by Heather N. Holm. Pollination Press LLC, first edition published February 2, 2017.
- Our Native Bees: North America's Endangered Pollinators and the Fight to Save Them by Paige Embry. Timber Press, published February 7, 2018.
- 100 Plants to Feed the Bees: Provide a Healthy Habitat to Help Pollinators Thrive by The Xerces Society. Storey Publishing LLC, published November 29, 2016.
- List of books by Dr. Thomas Seeley at Cornell University
Other publications
Citizen scientist resources
- The Great Sunflower Project
- The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (membership includes Wings magazine)
- Bumble Bee Watch
About the Ask a Ranger Podcast
Ranger Crystal and Ranger Jess host the North Carolina State Parks Ask a Ranger Podcast series. Their guest this episode is Laura Shields, an environmental educator at the Chimney Rock attraction at Chimney Rock State Park.
Email them at askaranger@ncparks.gov.
For a full list of episodes, visit our BuzzSprout page.
Click here to subscribe to the podcast with Apple iTunes.
Click here to subscribe to the podcast with RSS feed.
Park Maps and Brochures: