On the way to the island, drive across the 19th century King's Bridge, built by African American bridge builder Washington W. King, who in 1891 built this bridge in Athens, Georgia. 

In 1961, that same bridge was moved to Stone Mountain Park leading to King’s Trail (named in his honor) on Indian Island. Washington W. King acquired his working knowledge of covered bridge construction through the teachings of his father Horace King, a freed slave who built several enclosed bridges in the state of Georgia during the 1800’s, including the first bridge to span the Chattahoochee River. The bridge served the community well for decades until two severe floods, in 1910 and 1963, damaged the bridge severely causing concern for its ongoing use.

To make the move to Stone Mountain Park, the bridge was partially disassembled to survive the 60-mile trek before being re-assembled and re-installed atop new cement and granite piers connecting the park to a picturesque island across Stone Mountain Lake. 

This covered bridge is one of only four remaining structures of the many created and constructed by Washington W. King. Members of the King family were prominent African-American businessmen for decades in multiple Georgia cities. In 2019, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association (SMMA) Board of Directors unanimously voted to name this historic bridge the Washington W. King Bridge, to remember and honor this innovative designer and builder.

On Friday, September 20th, 2022 it was officially renamed to the Washington W. King College Avenue Covered Bridge. The bridge is now on the National Register of Historic Places (SG100007520). The Register is "part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources".