If you make your way up to Chattanooga, Tennessee you will begin to see signs that say
See Rock City and
See Ruby Falls. Both of these attractions sit right on the border of the Tennessee and Georgia line. If you have a RV and are planning to camp, we stayed at the
Cloudland Canyon State Park. It is not too far of a drive to Rock City and Ruby Falls (about 30 minutes to be exact). Why did we choose not to stay closer? There is a
KOA in Trenton, Georgia which is not too far from these attractions, but the beauty of the state park and things to do, far exceeded what the
KOA could offer. The
KOA Campground was more of a gravel parking lot, but if you want a closer option, this could certainly work.
Rock City
Located on Lookout Mountain, is the beautiful Rock City. Rock City is a beautiful garden area that features many different rock formations. Tickets and reservations can be made, but we were able to walk right up to get tickets. During warmer seasons, you may want to call ahead.
The trail through the gardens leads you on a swinging bridge, through tunnel like structures, rock formations, and giant cracks and caves. There are parts of the trail that lead you through cracks (where boulders meet). Some are a test and can be tricky to get past, but don't worry, you are able to take a different path to get past them. Towards the end of the trail, you are able to go across a swinging bridge that leads to Lookout Mountain itself and the gorgeous waterfall. At the overlook, you are able to see seven states from this point of view. These seven states include Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Towards the entrance/exit you will find food, artwork and shopping. Return back to Rock City during Christmas time, to enjoy Christmas lights throughout the gardens. If you are bringing babies or small children, I highly recommend getting a hiking backpack or bringing a baby carrier of some sort. Strollers may be a little difficult to take along the trails. Click here for a map of Rock City.
Ruby Falls
One other attraction that you must do before leaving Chattanooga, is the popular cave diving adventure, Ruby Falls. One recommendation that I have for here, is get your tickets early or online. There are time slots available, and we recommend reserving the first dive of the day. This allows you to be there before the crowds, but also be the only ones in the cave for the first part of the dive. This adventure is all about cave diving. We love caves and this is the first one we did as a family, but I have been in caves a handful of times. The correct terminology is spelunking, just in case you want to get technical.
You begin your adventure taking an elevator over 1100 feet below the earth, and the cave walking adventure begins. Along the way, you will see many stalagmites, stalactites and columns. There are lights that light the way, and you begin to hear flowing streams of water within the cave. It is said that if a cave drops water on you, then you will have good luck. After walking about twenty minutes, you will come to a large room within the cave and hear the rushing of water. Within a few seconds, colored lights will begin to show the 145 foot waterfall that flows into the 5 foot pool of water down below. It truly is magical.
You are able to get up close to the waterfall for pictures, but once the lights go down it is time to make the walk back. We did this cave diving adventure with two kiddos (one of them a sassy toddler) in tow, so it is totally possible to do. But I highly encourage a hiking backpack or baby carrier. A stroller is not going to work along the cave paths. Total time of the cave diving adventure is about an hour and a half. Click
here for a map of the cave walking path. You can also check back here around Christmas time, to visit Santa and a Christmas cave like wonderland.
Be mindful that in the cave, the temperature is usually around sixty degrees year round.
Stop by the cafe for breakfast, lunch or beer on tap. The service and food was definitely spot on and it was perfect after a long morning cave diving adventure.
