Grandfather Mountain

The mountain reaches 1,812 metres and takes its name from a profile in the ridgeline read as an old man's face. The Mile High Swinging Bridge, built in 1952 and rebuilt in steel in 1999, crosses a chasm about twenty-four metres deep at 1,600 metres and moves in wind, which is frequent - unverified gusts above 320 km/h have been reported on the mountain. The Linn Cove Viaduct below, an S-curve of precast concrete segments completed in 1987, was the last section of the Blue Ridge Parkway finished, built that way to avoid cutting into the slope. The mountain is an International Biosphere Reserve with sixteen distinct ecological communities and rare species. A wildlife habitat holds non-releasable bears, otters and cougars.

What you'll find

• The Mile High Swinging Bridge - crossing a chasm about twenty-four metres deep.
• The Linn Cove Viaduct - the last piece of the Parkway, finished 1987.
• Sixteen ecological communities - on one mountain, a biosphere reserve.
• A wildlife habitat - non-releasable native animals.

When to go

April to October; colour in October. Half a day.

Good to know

The bridge closes in high wind and lightning, which happens often. It is a paid private attraction; the adjoining state park trails are separate and free. Autumn weekends jam the access road. The summit is much colder than the base.

Nearby

The Blue Ridge Parkway runs below; Linville Falls is south.

Key facts