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What To Do InChattanooga
Lookout Mountain wrapped in low cloud, seen from the air

Itinerary · Ride up, walk the rim, come down at dusk

A Day on Lookout Mountain

Full dayBalancedAnyone with one day and a car

Everything on the mountain sits within a few minutes of everything else, which makes this the easiest full day in the region to plan. Go up early; the overlooks fill by mid-afternoon.

  1. 9:00 AM

    Take the Incline Railway up

    From St. Elmo at the base of the mountain. The upper section is famously steep, and riding up beats driving up for the view alone.

  2. 10:00 AM

    Walk Point Park

    The National Park Service site at the northern tip of the mountain, looking straight down at Moccasin Bend and the river's hairpin turn.

  3. 11:30 AM

    Hike out to Sunset Rock

    Short and steep, about 1.4 miles round trip, ending on the broad sandstone ledge that most photographs of this valley are taken from.

  4. 2:00 PM

    Rock City or Ruby Falls

    Both are on the mountain and both are ticketed. Rock City for the rock formations and the gardens, Ruby Falls for the underground waterfall. One of the two is plenty for an afternoon.

  5. 6:00 PM

    Back to Sunset Rock for the name

    It earns it. Arrive an hour before sundown to claim a spot, and bring a layer, because the wind funnels straight up the gorge even in summer.

More Ways to Spend a Day

All itineraries →
The Walnut Street Bridge spanning the Tennessee River
Full day6 stops

Downtown to the North Shore, all on foot

The Classic First Day

The no-regrets first day, and you never get in a car for it. The riverfront, the bluff, the bridge and the park on the far side are all within a mile and a half of each other.

BalancedFirst-time visitors
Tents pitched among tall trees at a forest campsite
Weekend5 stops

Two days, four trails, no long drives

A Weekend Outdoors

Chattanooga's best trick is how little driving good trails require. Nothing in this weekend is more than half an hour from downtown, and the first hike starts fifteen minutes from it.

PackedWalkers who would rather not commute to a trailhead