Grandfather Mountain & the Mile High Swinging Bridge

Grandfather Mountain is a privately run nature park beside the Blue Ridge Parkway, famous for a suspension footbridge that crosses the sky a full mile above sea level. It pairs one of the region's biggest thrills with one of its most photographed feats of engineering just down the road.

The Mile High Swinging Bridge

The bridge is a 228-foot suspension span crossing an 80-foot chasm to Linville Peak at 5,305 feet — a full mile above sea level, which is where the name comes from. The walk across, with the wind and the drop and the ridges rolling away in every direction, is the park's signature moment. An elevator and paved paths make the bridge reachable for most visitors.

More Than the Bridge

Grandfather is a full day if you want it: wildlife habitats with black bears, otters, and eagles, the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, hiking trails, roadside overlooks, picnic areas, and a restaurant. It's a private nature park, so admission is required and tickets are bought online; it's open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas, weather permitting.

The Linn Cove Viaduct

Just below Grandfather, the Blue Ridge Parkway curves around the mountainside on the Linn Cove Viaduct near Milepost 304 — a quarter-mile S-shaped bridge that was the final piece of the entire Parkway to be completed, in 1987. The overlook and the short trail beneath it give you the classic photograph of the road hanging on the mountain.

Weather at the Top

The summit makes its own weather. The bridge closes in lightning, high wind, or ice, and it can be cold and blowing up top when it's mild below. Check conditions the morning you go, and bring a layer.