The Remarkable Bridge In North Carolina That Everyone Should Visit At Least Once
By Robin Jarvis|Updated on September 08, 2023(Originally published November 02, 2018)
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Robin Jarvis
Author
Robin Jarvis began writing for OnlyInYourState.com in 2015 and quickly advanced to a Senior Editor role. She's currently the Brand Manager and has a Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University in Journalism with a minor in Marketing. Her career history includes long running appearances on radio and television. She also has served as publisher of Shades of Green Magazine and Design Lead on several print publications. Her love for travel has taken her to many parts of the world. She's lived in the Carolinas for more than three decades and currently resides in Charleston, SC. When she's not working, she loves playing guitar, painting, traveling, and spending time with family.
Contact: rjarvis@onlyinyourstate.com
There is a variety of must-see bridges in the Tar Heel State (see 11 of them in this previous article), but few are as spectacular as the concrete segmented bridge that clings to the side of Grandfather Mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The famous bridge is perhaps the most acclaimed section of the Blue Ridge Parkway and is 1,243 feet long and nearly 40 feet wide.
The parkway averages more than 16 million visitors each year, many of which make it a point to travel over Linn Cove Viaduct. Countless more hikers traverse the mountain to which it clings when they hike the Tanawha Trail that travels from Beacon Heights to Julian Price Park.
In comparison to the amount of traffic on the Parkway, not quite so many stop and check out all there is to see and do at Linn Cove Viaduct.
When OnlyInYourState's Manager of Editorial visited in 2023, she only saw one other group of hikers on the trail.
For starters, there's a Visitor's Center just south of the bridge. A turn off leads to a parking lot with a nicely appointed Visitor Center at one end.
At the other end of the parking lot, a short trail (under a mile in length) leads under the viaduct providing an up-close look at the underbelly of the bridge.
Megan Shute/OnlyInYourState
Grandfather Mountain is one of the most rugged peaks along the Blue Ridge Parkway making this bridge an engineering marvel. It took four years to complete this short segment of the Parkway.
It's truly one of the most unique and underrated areas we've ever visited.
The Linn Cove Viaduct Visitor’s Center is located at milepost 304.4 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Linn Cove Viaduct is located just to the north of the Visitor’s Center at milepost 304. The gift shop at the Visitor Center is open seasonally. See this link on the official website of the National Park Service for dates and times. The trail leading from the parking area at the Visitor Center is open year-round as long as the parkway isn’t closed due to inclement weather.
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