Linn Cove Visitors Center

Between mileposts 304 and 305, is an unusual bridge, the renowned Linn Cove Viaduct. Truly a marvel of modern engineering, this S-shaped structure appears to curl alongside Grandfather Mountain without touching it. In contrast to the usual method of blasting and bulldozing roads through mountains, the Linn Cove Viaduct was laid segment by segment-always working from the previously attached segment of the bridge rather than the ground. The final product consists of 153 uniquely curved segments, averaging 8.6 feet long, weighing about 50 tons, and connected by wire cables and epoxy. Stopping by the Linn Cove Visitors Center at the northern end of the viaduct will give visitors a fuller appreciation, through photographs and models, of the singular architectural challenges overcome by the builders. From the parking lot here, guests can also stretch their legs on a hiking trail that runs under the viaduct and connects with the inviting Tanawha Trail.