The “Rainbow Bridge” was a memorial within the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge Gardens where pet owners left 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 will be returned to the new Rainbow Bridge when it is built.
The new Rainbow Bridge will measure 12 feet long and will look very similar to the old one. It will be constructed from redwood and will have five arched railings. Materials for the new bridge are scheduled to be delivered in October 2026. Local Artist Amy Wald will paint the bridge and construct the details.
The bridge will cross over a custom-made water feature that looks like a rocky river. Construction of this water feature was completed this week, and visitors are welcome to come see it. The water feature was built by Jay’s Landscaping of Columbus, NC. One special feature will be placing a preserved red section of the original Rainbow
Bridge on the hillside near the roses. They will also include the Rainbow Bridge poem, historical photos
of the old bridge, and playful touches like a stick library, a decorative fire hydrant, and
water bowls for visiting dogs.
The New Rainbow Bridge
A new Rainbow Bridge is being designed by Amy Wald, who built the original Rainbow Bridge. The new bridge will be larger than the original, with expanded extra rails for visitors to place collars of their beloved departed pets. A special section will be installed to hold the “survivor” bricks that were recovered after the storm. We hope to have the new Rainbow Bridge completed by the end of 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.
Sponsored by Vaughn-Jordan Foundation
