12 of the World’s Most Terrifying Bridges

Over 200 years old and still standing strong, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct is the world’s highest canal aqueduct. Carrying the Llangollen Canal across the River Dee in north east Wales, it’s also possible to walk across the aqueduct. While it’s by no stretch the tallest of the constructions in this list (126 feet high), it’s completely exposed to the elements and offers a startling sheer drop to River Dee below. Built over the course of 10 years and finally completed in 1805, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

Snaking its way across a quilt of mountain forest on the Malaysian island of Langkawi, the Langkawi Sky Bridge offers spectacular views that stretch as far as the Thai island of Tarutao. As it’s situated over 2,000 feet above sea level, it’s unsurprising that it’s only reachable by cable car. At 410 feet long, the precarious-looking bridge was opened in 2005 but closed between 2012 and 2015 for renovations. Even with the added safety measures, this tree-top walk is still a hair-raising experience.

Completed in 1929 and standing at a height of 955 feet, Colorado’s Royal Gorge Bridge still holds the title of the United States’ highest bridge. Crossing the immense Royal Gorge and looking down onto the Arkansas River far below, the bridge is an impressive yet unnerving way of getting from one side of the famous gorge to the other. The area has now been turned into a tourist trap with the introduction of a rollercoaster, zip line, and sundry other attractions; but have no doubt—the bridge is still the star of the show.

At an absurd 12,500 feet above sea level, this short bridge blows away the competition in terms of height. As small as it may be, this bridge comes with views that few others can hope to compete with. Residing near the summit of the Aiguille du Midi mountain in the French Alps, it offers spectacular vistas across the Mont Blanc massif. And as if that wasn’t enough to tempt you to visit this petrifying lookout, a glass floor has now been added that peers down into the snowy abyss below.

Attracting over 1 million visitors per year, this 230-foot-high bridge is clearly a hit with Vancouver’s tourists despite its slightly fragile appearance. Suspended amid the fir trees surrounding the Capilano River in North Vancouver, the original bridge was built back in 1889 but was rebuilt in 1956. The cables are now coated with 13 tons of concrete at either end which should be enough to ease any fears, although the river below still looks an awfully long way down. Added in 2011, the park now features a narrow suspended walkway (called Cliffwalk) just in case the bridge itself didn’t provide an adequate adrenaline rush.

Raised up 130 feet through the thick rainforest in Ghana’s Kakum National Park, the Kakum Canopy Walk is a rickety-looking structure designed to put visitors at a height typically reserved for monkeys and birds. Opened in 1995, the little-known park certainly had tourism in mind when it put together this collection of seven bridges made of wire rope and wooden planks. How much wildlife you will actually see on any given day is in the lap of the gods, but these precarious canopies should be enough to hold your attention. Unlike any of the other bridges in this list however, the Kakum Canopy Walk has safety netting beneath just in case the worst happens.

Constructed in 1857 from the ruins of a nearby teak palace close to Amarapura in Myanmar, the designers of this 1.2-kilometer-long bridge probably weren’t considering how Instagram-friendly it would be at the time. Providing beautiful sunset shots as its long frame silhouettes nicely against the golden glowing orb of the sun, U Bein Bridge is popular with locals and tourists alike. While the 150-year-old bridge isn’t particularly high, its length leaves visitors remarkably exposed when crossing the vast Taungthaman Lake.