Mile High Swinging Bridge, Grandfather Mountain, NC
Posted by: 
PFF
N 36° 05.663 W 081° 49.996
17S E 424988 N 3994738
This 228-foot suspension bridge spans an 80-foot chasm at more than one mile in elevation.
Waymark Code: WM1MEP
Location: North Carolina, United States
Date Posted: 06/01/2007
Views: 249
Grandfather Mountain is one of the most visited attractions in the mountains of North Carolina, and crossing this swinging bridge is the "badge of courage". A number of folks take one look and elect to stay at the visitor's center, rather than walking across to the observation rock on the other side.
The bridge is quite safe. It was rebuilt in 1999, using the original towers. It requires very little maintenance, despite being subjected to extremely harsh weather conditions, including winds of over 80 MPH, which occur numerous times per year.
The GPS coordinates are for a benchmark embedded in the rock on the far side of the bridge. If you cross the bridge and find the disk, you may wish to photograph it and log it on geocaching.com/mark. The ID is FZ2090.
The history of the bridge is very interesting. Here is the website:
(
visit link)
Check the Grandfather Mountain website for seasonal hours and admission fees. The mountain is open year-round, but access is denied or restricted during adverse weather and/or very high winds.
***NOTE***
If you venture out onto the rock observation point, use caution. There are no rails or other protection. There have been fatal falls--some in recent years. A good rule for children (and adults) is, "Do not get closer to the edge, in feet, than your height." If you trip, all of your body will be on the rock!