| Grandfather Mountain | |
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| Elevation | 5,964 feet (1,818 metres) |
| Location | North Carolina, USA |
| Range | Appalachian Mountains |
| Prominence | 2,444 feet (745 meters) |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | USGS Grandfather Mountain |
| Easiest route | hike |
Grandfather Mountain is a mountain near Linville, North Carolina. In topography a summit is a point on a surface which is higher in Elevation than all points immediately adjacent to North Carolina ( is a state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A topographic map is a type of Map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using Contour lines in modern The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. A climbing route is a path by which a climber reaches the top of a Mountain, rock or ice wall Linville is a small community located off US 221 in Avery County, North Carolina. At 5,964 feet (1,818 meters), it is the highest peak on the eastern escarpment of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the major chains of the Appalachian Mountains. The Blue Ridge, or Blue Ridge Mountains, is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division The Appalachian Mountains ( often called the Appalachians, are a vast system of mountains in eastern North America. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes by the south side of the mountain. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a National Parkway and All-American Road in the United States, noted for its scenic beauty Grandfather Mountain is privately owned and operated as a nature preserve and tourist attraction and is best known for its mile-high swinging bridge, the highest in America, built in 1952 by Hugh Morton and dedicated to William B. Umstead. A tourist attraction is a place of interest where Tourists visit typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value historical significance natural or built beauty or This article is concerned with a particular type of suspension bridge the simple suspension type Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hugh Morton ( February 19 1921 &mdash June 1 2006) was a Photographer and nature Conservationist who developed Grandfather William Bradley Umstead ( 13 May 1895 7 November 1954) was a U The bridge links two of the mountain's rocky peaks, and is known as the "swinging" bridge due to its tendency to sway in high winds. Morton inherited the mountain from his father and developed the tourist attractions. He died on June 1, 2006 at the age of 85.
Grandfather Mountain rises more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) above the Catawba River Valley, and due to the considerable elevation gain the mountain boasts 16 distinct ecological communities. The Catawba River is a Tributary of the Wateree River in the U The mountain also has experienced some of the highest surface wind speeds ever recorded, with speeds in excess of 200 MPH. More recently, Grandfather Mountain has upgraded their wind equipment in order to help resolve controversy over these high wind recordings. Wind readings from the new equipment have been considerably less. [1] (Mount Washington in New Hampshire holds the record for the highest surface wind speed, at 231 MPH. Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at. New Hampshire ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. )
Two rivers originate at Grandfather Mountain, the Linville River, flowing east, and the Watauga River, which flows west. The Linville River is a River in western North Carolina. The river flows off the slopes of Grandfather Mountain in Avery County near the town of The Watauga River is a Stream of western North Carolina and East Tennessee. Many other streams also originate on the slopes of Grandfather.
One of North America's largest Highland Games, The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, are held at Grandfather Mountain each year, drawing in visitors from all over the world. Highland games are events held throughout the year in Scotland and other countries as a way of celebrating Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage especially The Highland Games celebrate the Scottish ancestry of many of the pioneers who settled around the mountain and feature traditional Scottish games and music. At one time, the Grandfather Mountain games was the largest such event in the United States, though in recent years it has been surpassed by the games in Pleasanton, California. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Pleasanton is a city in Alameda County, California, incorporated in 1894
A paved road leads to one of mountain's several peaks, and there visitors will find a museum, the famous "mile-high swinging bridge", and views of up to 100 miles - on a clear day, it is possible to see the city skyline of Charlotte. On the road to the summit there are wildlife exhibits and picnic areas. Grandfather Mountain also offers miles of hiking trails that vary in skill levels. Some trails require climbing wooden ladders to reach higher peaks and offer scenic views.
On top of Grandfather Mountain, like many mountain peaks above 5000' in North Carolina, grows an "island" of spruce-fir forest. Though the forest was largely devastated during the 20th century by the introduction of the non-native balsam wooly adelgid, a remnant of this biome still exists on Grandfather Mountain. Balsam woolly adelgids are small wingless Insects that infest and kill Firs especially Balsam Fir and Fraser Fir.
Grandfather Mountain and its surrounding communities were served by the narrow gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad (The ET&WNC, nicknamed "Tweetsie") until the flood of 1940. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways The East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad ( ET&WNC) affectionately called the " Tweetsie " in reference to the sound of its steam whistles was Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The railroad helped make the mountain a favorite vacation spot for excursionists during the early 20th Century. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on
The scene in Forrest Gump where he runs on a curvy mountain road was filmed here. Forrest Gump is a 1994 Comedy film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom and the name of the title character
Photo Gallery
 Mile-High Swinging Bridge |
 Grandfather Mountain |
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 Grandfather Mountain |
 Mile-High Swinging Bridge |
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