The Rainbow Bridge Garden is a joyful, dog-friendly space where families can remember beloved pets. Features include playful touches like a stick library, a decorative fire hydrant, and water bowls for visiting dogs.
A special feature in the Rainbow Bridge garden is the “Rainbow Bridge”, a memorial within the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Gardens where pet owners leave collars and tags to honor lost pets. Inspired by the widely known Rainbow Bridge poem, it became a popular, moving spot for visitors to share in grief and celebrate their beloved animals. The Rainbow Bridge was created by artist Amy Wald around 2022 and it inspired many Rainbow Bridges to be built around the country. Sadly, the original Rainbow Bridge was destroyed by Hurricane Helene in 2024. About 470 collars that had been placed on the original Rainbow Bridge were recovered from the lake bed and they were returned to the new Rainbow Bridge when it was installed October 8, 2026.
A red section of the original Rainbow Bridge is on the hillside near the roses. The recovered collars from the original Rainbow bridge will be on display on either side of the recovered section.
The New Rainbow Bridge
A new Rainbow Bridge was designed by Amy Wald, who built the original Rainbow Bridge. The new bridge was installed October 8, 2026 by Blake and Ethan of Handcrafted Garden Bridges, of Mulberry, Arkansas. Larger than the original Rainbow Bridge, it measures 12 feet long and is made from cedar. The bridge has expanded extra rails for visitors to place collars of their beloved departed pets. A special section holds the “survivor” collars that were recovered after the storm.
The bridge crosses over a custom-made water feature that looks like a rocky river. The water feature was built by Jay’s Landscaping of Columbus, NC completed in August 2026.
The Rainbow Bridge Garden
The garden surrounding the Rainbow Bridge is being designed by rose expert, Paul Zimmerman. His design includes plenty of roses, pink dogwood trees and seasonal flowers. Plants are dog loving with scents for them to enjoy. Drift roses on the bank were planted in colors to resemble a rainbow. A patio at the end of the Rainbow Bridge will feature benches and a quiet place to sit with your pets.
Paul works closely with garden caretakers Diane Mille and Diana Young to work with the natural environment and to include the best plants for the area.
Sponsored by Vaughn-Jordan Foundation
