We were here for an entire week in Chattanooga and able to travel up the mountain 4 of those days!…read moreWhat amazing views of surrounding area! And the people I'll never get over how wonderful they were all were to us! We went to Ruby Falls rock city Park point and stopped at several of the small shops on the way up. We could not do the incline due to my grandson's fear Heights, but we did watch it several times from different advantage points every penny we spent was worth it and 1 million more. The memories made this week will last a lifetime for me and I'm so thankful we were able to take our grandsons and experience this beautiful amazing place with them.

If you're in the neighborhood take the drive to the top. On a clear day the view is incredible.read more

This marker is located on the climb to the top of Lookout Mountain and is in a mostly residential…read moreneighborhood. I wonder how these people get here when the weather is poor because even on a dry afternoon, it was a challenging road. 4WD SUVs are recommended! The marker reads, "Founded here July 4, 1857, when its first trustees, representing Episcopal dioceses in ten Southern states, met to adopt the plan of Bishop (later Confederate General) Leonidas Polk for a university to be sponsored by the Episcopal Church. Following the colorful ceremony here, a second meeting of the Board was held in Montgomery, Alabama, in November, 1857, and Sewanee, Tennessee was chosen as the site." There is not much room to stop here but there was no traffic so blocking the road briefly wasn't a problem. [Review 18832 overall - 363 in Tennessee - 2355 of 2022.]

An excellent place to hike around, sit around and have a picnic, check out the gift shops. But the…read moremost important thing is to look at the history here and how important it was in the battle of northern aggression. It has the best views in all of Tennessee I would say.

We got there late in the day, almost at closing time so we didn't see the movie/diorama display. We…read moredid see some of the other displays which we very good and informative. The gift shop was well equipped. The NPS office next door was closed due to Corona.

Up the road from Rock City is Point Park, a section of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National…read moreMilitary Park. There's some parking nearby, or you can take the Incline Railway up from the base and walk here, the location is amazing! You can get a Passport Stamp here, too, if you're into that sort of thing (‍). Check out the view of the Moccasin Bend and the monument in the center of the park, or head down to the connection trail section for a hike to Sunset Rock or Craven House. The views are gorgeous from the overlooks, and definitely worth the small price of admission, which you can purchase in advance from the National Parks website.

One of the coolest spots near Chattanooga. It has by far one of the most spectacular views I have…read moreever seen. We enjoyed walking around the park for over almost two hours taking it all in, getting photos, and reading about the history. Highly recommend and a must see spot!

Here at Lula Lake Land Trust in Lookout Mountain, Georgia (20 miles southwest of Chattanooga,…read moreTennessee), this is a fun little journey, a 4-mile out and back or roundtrip hike getting to experience the prized highlight here...120-foot Lula Falls. The area around Lula Falls is private property. The Board of Trustees are sensitive about protecting the ecology of this land and so...visiting capacity is greatly reduced. In order to visit, you must book a reservation online ahead of time at lulalake.org. It's $16 entry per car, regardless of the number of passengers. Visitation dates are totally out of the norm, outside guests can enter the grounds on the first and last weekends of each month. That's 4 days per month and 48 days out of the entire year! Eye opening when you think about that statistic within the bigger picture of making plans to see Lula Falls. The pathway trail to reach Lula Falls is moderately easy. Follow the gravel dirt road for the first 1.5 out of 2 miles. Along the way, on the left hand side of the trail is a terrific overlook of Lula Falls. Although you can enter down to the falls taking Old Falls Trail, those stair steps are pretty steep. It was suggested to me to walk just a little further down to Lula Falls Trail and follow that pathway to Lula Falls. Upon arriving at the heart of it all, Lula Falls is mighty impressive, a magical wonder of a waterfall plunging 120 feet in a straight free-fall. While the sun was shining, I even caught a rainbow at the base of the falls which made the setting here somewhat of a pause in time moment. Backdrops like these don't come around often, I was relishing it all. Feeling thankful and blessed would describe things well. There's no swimming at the falls and I respect that, just enjoying the beauty of the falls was good enough for me. On the return trip back towards the entrance, you can follow the Bluff Trail above the forest tree-line to a panoramic clearing from high atop Lookout Mountain. It's a good chance to view the Chattanooga Valley from an undisturbed vantage point. You can finish out the hike taking the Bluff Trail almost all the way back to the start, or the Middle Trail is just as good too. But if you enjoy hiking in nature, either pathway will get the job done. Overall, getting to venture out to Lula Lake Land Trust and hike to Lula Falls was a joyous occasion for me, someone who loves the great outdoors and takes nothing for granted. Thank you for having me.

Beautiful hike at Lula Falls. It is about 4 miles round trip. We went in May when it wasn't hot but…read morewas still warm enough that my jacket didn't stay on long. The trails are well maintained and easy except for the last quarter mile to the lower falls. Worth the trek down to the lower falls area. A bit of a challenge for this 62 year old but slow and steady won the day. We enjoyed a nice lunch in the picnic area near the stairs to the lower falls.

This was something I very much wanted to see while in Chattanooga. I remember learning about the…read moreTrail of Tears in school in Virginia but, hadn't known a great deal about it. I read about it before visiting and was very impressed by this monument paying tribute to the Cherokee nation and the suffering of those forced from their ancestral lands by mass exodus and essentially a death march, hence the name. I was surprised to see that this is a monument that the city allows you to fully walk, play, and swim in and there were dozens of families with children playing and splashing in the water. It was something I'm not used to seeing and I thought it was wonderful that the city allows this. It was extremely hot the day I visited in July but also, this is interactive and encourages people to come and spent time here. It's a physical tribute to the countless tears shed no doubt during this event and a powerful tribute to a darker part of American history.

The Passage is a permanent exhibit near the aquarium, and pays tribute to the seven clans of the…read moreCherokee Nation through symbolism. The Trail of Tears, when Cherokee tribes were forced from their lands in Chattanooga to Oklahoma, started nearby. The Passage is a walkway, where people can see the Weeping Wall, representing the tears shed as Cherokees were forced from their homes and made to walk the Trail of Tears. 7 disks along the Weeping Wall tell the story of the Cherokee Nation. Facing the Tennessee River are 7 figures playing stickball. Playing the important game of stickball provided a way for members of the Cherokee Nation to settle disagreements, even to the point of players getting injured or killed. Just my opinion, but I think this a valuable exhibit that should be maintained a lot better and treated with respect. During my visit, to The Passage, there were a lot of people wading in the water, and wall that the stainless steel stickball players are on appeared water damaged.

I didn't expect to enjoy Rock City as much as I did and I almost didn't come bc it was 97 degrees…read morelast month while I was in town. I'm so glad I googled and saw that it's about 90% shade in the beautiful natural rock formations and caves that make up the majority of the park. Plenty of parking, charming location, and gorgeous natural scenery and rock with the park built to complement and draw upon what nature has already done. I was alone, but plan to bring my two-year old back in a few years when she's old enough to enjoy this, I think she will absolutely love it. Lover's Leap is stunning and my favorite of the 4 paths was Hall of the Mountain King. This place is amazing. Touristy? Sure. But worth it. You can tell the amount of attention to detail and love that went into developing every part of this place. Nothing is looked over. Even the sidewalks have small design elements built in. Love! This brought me back to the years of my childhood spent climbing rocks and building dams in our creek in rural Virginia. Let the imagination run wild!

The hike doesn't feel like a hike at all. Stairs are built in. Creative and fun. I feel like this…read moreis a place where artist came together and was able to express their creativity. The only notice I'll give is that there are some points where you have to be thin to pass through. I am sure there is another way around but I didn't look.

If you're searching for a spot that blends breathtaking scenery with a dash of local history,…read moreLookout Point is an absolute must-visit. Perched high above the landscape, it offers panorama views that make you feel like you're standing at the edge of the world. Sunsets here don't just glow--they ignite the entire horizon. What really elevates the experience is the historical depth woven into the place. Lookout Point has long served as a natural vantage point, used for centuries by early travelers, surveyors, and even Indigenous communities who recognized its strategic height and sweeping visibility. In the early 1900s, as the area developed, the point became a favored destination for weekend picnics, stargazing nights, and scenic drives. Some of the original stonework and trail markers still remain, giving the area a timeless charm. Today, it continues to be a beloved spot for hikers, photographers, history buffs, and anyone who wants a quiet escape. The trails are well-kept, the air feels crisp, and the soundscape is a blend of wind, birds, and quiet awe from other visitors. Whether you're capturing the view through a camera lens or simply taking a moment to breathe, the place has a way of grounding you. Verdict: If you're anywhere nearby, don't just think about visiting--go. Bring a camera, bring someone you like, or just bring yourself. Lookout Point is one of those places that leaves you a little different than when you arrived.

This place existed prior to the War between the States. This was the site of the Confederate siege…read moreof Chattanooga from the mountain in 1863. It's a 10 acre memorial park that overlooks Chattanooga and the battlefield. There's many historic buildings and relics of the war. The original house of 1856 was destroyed during the war, but rebuilt and finished in 1866. It is free entry and overlooks Chattanooga as well.

This place is so cool. So much history and so worth checking out…read more We drove through much of this but stopped by the tower. Of course I had to walk up it ....and back down. I had spaghetti legs after that, but it was so worth it. The view from the top is so beautiful.

Had an amazing visit here today. It is absolutely worth the visit. So much history…read more I can truly appreciate the self guided narration by utilizing the NPS app. It helps keep you on track as you navigate through the battlefield. Next visit I plan to do a little more walking around. This is a huge land mass and there are some areas you cannot get to via vehicle. It was nice to see lots of people on bike, flying kites and with the pets.