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What To Do InChattanooga
Tents pitched among tall trees at a forest campsite

Itinerary · Two days, four trails, no long drives

A Weekend Outdoors

WeekendPackedWalkers who would rather not commute to a trailhead

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.

  1. Sat, 8:00 AM

    Warm up on Stringer's Ridge

    Three easy miles of wooded loop with a skyline overlook, and the closest real trail network to the city centre. A gentle way to find your legs.

  2. Sat, 11:00 AM

    Recover in Coolidge Park

    Ten minutes from the trailhead, and the obvious place to sit down afterwards with the river in front of you.

  3. Sat, 2:00 PM

    Get on the water

    The Tennessee Riverpark stretch is flatwater and forgiving, which makes it the one to pick if you are renting rather than bringing your own boat.

  4. Sun, 8:00 AM

    Rainbow Lake Loop

    A gentle 2.6-mile circuit on Signal Mountain past a swinging bridge and an old reservoir. The easiest introduction to the mountain there is.

  5. Sun, 11:00 AM

    Signal Point to Edwards Point

    The hard one, and the reason to save Sunday morning for it. Five and a half miles along the gorge rim on the Cumberland Trail, exposed most of the way, with the payoff earned rather than handed over.

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
Lookout Mountain wrapped in low cloud, seen from the air
Full day5 stops

Ride up, walk the rim, come down at dusk

A Day on Lookout Mountain

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.

BalancedAnyone with one day and a car