Another Roadside Attraction Geotrail

North Carolina - Grandfather Mountain Swinging Bridge

There is nothing better than a good road trip: driving down the open road, eating at tiny roadside diners, going 150 miles out of the way to take a selfie in front of … the Peachoid water tower! Oh Say, can you see … me with the world’s largest frying pan?

This geotrail honors those unique, odd, bizarre, fun, historic, campy, weird, and just downright interesting roadside attractions in North and South Carolina. The caches aren’t meant to be hard, it is a power-trail after all. None of the caches are hidden at the posted locations - but answer the question correctly and you will have a working set of coordinates. All of the hides are preform bottles.

Towering at almost 6,000 feet, Grandfather Mountain is home to an animal sanctuary and a famous bridge. “Mile High” refers to the fact that the bridge is located at an elevation a mile above sea level. “Swinging” refers to the fact that the bridge is a suspension bridge and therefore moves some with the wind. The bridge is 228 feet long and spans an 80 foot chasm. Summer visitors clad in shorts and t-shirts are often surprised at how chilly the mountain peak is due to the elevation and high winds. Grandfather Mountain is known for its high winds, which are some of the strongest in the North Carolina. In fact, the bridge has been nicknamed by some locals as the “Singin’ Bridge” due to the fact that wind streaming through the bridge’s metal supports and slats makes a whistling sound. Until 1999, the bridge was constructed mostly of wood. In 1999, the bridge, including the cables, side rails, and floor boards, was rebuilt in galvanized steel. This change in materials meant that park employees would no longer have to hang across the gorge to paint and repaint the bridge.

N 34 28.ABC W 79 14.808

Where can you find the mile high bridge?

A. Rocky Mount, NC - 004

B. Wilmington, NC - 646

C. Kings Mountain, NC - 337

D.  Linville, NC - 412