Grandfather Mountain
| Grandfather Mountain | ||
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 Grandfather Mountain |
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| height | 1818 m | |
| location | North Carolina (USA) | |
| Mountains | Blue Ridge Mountains | |
| Coordinates | 36 ° 6 '42 " N , 81 ° 48' 42" W | |
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 South flank of Grandfather Mountain |
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Grandfather Mountain near Linville is 1,818 meters high ( Calloway Peak ), the highest point in the eastern area of the Blue Ridge Mountains , which belong to the Appalachian Mountains . It rises 1,219 meters above the valley of the Catawba River . On the mountain there are sometimes very strong winds, with measured peaks of over 320 km / h. On the southern flank of the mountain, the Blue Ridge Parkway runs elevated, this section was completed in 1987 as the last part of the 750 km long recreational road built since 1936.
Grandfather Mountain is privately owned and is used as a nature reserve and excursion destination. The mountain is known for the Mile High Swinging Bridge , built in 1952 , which is the highest suspension bridge in the United States . A paved road with information about the wilderness on display and picnic facilities leads up to this bridge, which is also near a museum. The mountain offers a large number of different hiking trails with different degrees of difficulty. The Grandfather Mountain Highland Games , one of the largest and most popular highland games in the United States, are held annually on Grandfather Mountain .
At the top of Grandfather Mountain there is still a relic of the spruce-fir forest that originally predominated in the Appalachian Mountains, consisting of Engelmann spruces ( Picea engelmannii ) and rock firs ( Abies lasiocarpa ). This type of forest died out almost completely in the 20th century. The reason was the introduction of the Neozoon Adelges piceae , a species of plant louse .
In the film Forrest Gump you see the title hero, played by Tom Hanks , running up the switchbacks to Grandfather Mountain in one scene. It is the moment when he gets company while running. The corresponding point has meanwhile been marked with signs as Forrest Gump Curve .
