Remembering Our Pets – The Rainbow Bridge
The Lake Lure Flowering Bridge is built atop the historic, three-arch Historic Bridge #7 on North Carolina Highway 9 in Lake Lure, North Carolina. A unique and whimsical city park, the Flowering Bridge contains 30 gardens on and beside a reimagined bridge.
One of the most popular features at the bridge is the Rainbow Bridge. Many visitors to the bridge come for the sole purpose of attaching their departed pet’s collar or tag to the Rainbow Bridge handrails. Often there are tears, but mostly it’s a calming place where pet owners can remember their beloved furry friends. You’ll find it at the entrance to the River’s Edge Dog Garden.
The Rainbow Bridge is the brain child and creation of local artist Amy Wald. Amy built the Rainbow Bridge Garden as a space where families could not only leave behind a piece of their own pet’s life, but also truly envision the moment they will meet their treasured friend once again.
A sign at the entrance to the bridge invites visitors to attach their pet’s collars or tags to the Rainbow Bridge’s rails. “A place to peacefully honor and remember our four-legged family members,” says the sign.
Update
Sadly, the Rainbow Bridge was washed away in the Hurricane Helene flood waters. Many of the collars were recovered by contractors working in the lake. Recovered collars are cataloged on the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge website. » Recovered Rainbow Bridge Collars
A new Rainbow Bridge is scheduled to be built in Spring 2026.
