After leaving the cabin in Blue Ridge, we made a last minute decision drive towards Lookout Mountain to see Rock City, Ruby Falls, and ride the Incline Railway!
Both my husband and I haven’t been to Lookout Mountain since we were little kids, so it was a fun, unfamiliar experience for all four of us.
Incline Railway
Also known as “America’s Most Amazing Mile” is the world’s steepest passenger railway that takes you straight up historic Lookout Mountain at a breathtaking 72.7% grade! In operation since 1895, the Incline is a National Historic site and Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
Incline Railway from the bottom of Lookout Mountain
View from the top
Rock City
Only six miles from downtown Chattanooga, Rock City is 1700 feet above sea level, with a 100-foot waterfall that cascades down the mountain, and the famous Swing-A-Long bridge that spans nearly 200 feet. This self-guided tour along Lookout Mountain gives visitors a birds-eye view from the top!
See 7 States from Rock City – Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama
Swing-A-Long Bridge – a very high suspension bridge! It was super scary as a kid, still scary as an adult.
Lover’s Leap – The local legend is that a young woman believed her lover had been killed so she threw herself off the top.
Fat Man’s Squeeze – a “tight squeeze” through the rocks. Needle’s Eye is actually a tighter squeeze!
Ruby Falls
Ruby Falls is one of the “Ten Most Incredible Cave Waterfalls on Earth.” It is America’s deepest commercial cave and largest underground waterfall.
We took a guided tour through the cavern to a 145-foot underground waterfall!
History of Ruby Falls:
In 1905, Lookout Mountain was closed to the public since a tunnel was being built at the time. The tunnel sealed the main entrance of the Lookout Mountain Cave.
In 1923, a chemist and cave enthusiast, Leo Lambert, wanted to reopen the limestone cave as a tourist attraction, and formed a company to do so.
On December 28, 1928, one of the men working on the construction of the elevator shaft felt a gust of air at the 260 foot mark. Upon further investigation, they discovered a small passageway about 18 inches high and five feet wide.
Leo Lambert disappeared for 17 hours exploring this opening while crawling on his hands and knees. Lambert found gorgeous rocks along with streams, and he discovered the formerly hidden Ruby Falls Cave and its waterfall!
The next time Leo Lambert went to visit his grand discovery, he took his wife. Right in front of the beautiful waterfall, he told his wife Ruby that he would name it in her honor. This is how Ruby Falls got its name.
Ruby Falls was probably my favorite of the three places we visited. Mostly because I have never been to Ruby Falls before, and the story of how it was discovered is just incredible!
Natalie said her favorite was the Incline Railway, and Haley said she loved all of them!
And for those who have asked, all of these photos were shot with one prime lens:
Body: Canon 6D, Lens: 40mm 2.8
See what’s in my camera bag here!
We’ve been to this area a couple of times, and it’s always great. Ruby falls is absolutely amazing. The caves are wonderful.
Wow! I haven’t even heard of these! I love the rock city and the train! The view from the top is spectacular!
What a great trip! All of these pictures are great. It looks like a lot of fun was had by all!
All of these are wonderful destinations. I remember Ruby Falls from when I was a kid and still love it to this day!
This looks like a fabulous place to visit with lots of scenery, I am loving the idea of traveling here for a family trip!
This is absolutely a fun place to visit with my kids! I bet this is so much fun being there
Love all the photos! Our son had their 6th grade field trip there last year and he had a blast. I would love to see those places for myself too.
What a beautiful place. I’d love to take my kids there some day.
I’ve passed through Chattanooga many times and I’ve always wanted to stop at these attractions. I’m not sure I could handle the Incline Railway, but the rest of my family would love it.
Looks like a great fun way to enjoy spring break! The 145-foot underground waterfall sounds a bit scary but I’d be curious to visit it anyway!
Your photos are so beautiful. I would love to visit there sometime. I love being able to see beautiful places like these. That waterfall is amazing. I’d love to see that in person.
Oh my, what a gorgeous destination. It’s awesome to see places like this. I wish to visit there someday.
That sounds like a lovely vacation! I have never been there, but would love to take my family there one of these days.
I haven’t been to Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls since I was a child. I still remember all the signs on the highway. Thanks for bringing back such great childhood memories.
It looks like you had a really awesome trip! I would love to visit there someday with my kids. Love all the pictures you shared. 🙂
You were in my city! Chattanooga has a lot to see and do but a lot of people don’t know about it. I really enjoy Rock City. My kids used to love the incline.
This looks like such a fun place to visit. My kids would love to check out all those trails. I love the panoramic views- so pretty!
Oh wow, I would love to visit this place. Do you know if they have wheelchair accommodations?
I just added this to my list of places I want to visit. Gorgeous. I haven’t tried shooting with that lens. I loved the way the pictures came out though so I added that to my wish list too. 🙂
Wow, what a great adventure! Love the pictures!
I would love the look out views and the caves there. I would also want to try the incline railway.
This looks like a fun spring break. Your photos are beautiful. My parents took me to visit the caves when I was young. Great memories. I bet the whole fmaily had a good time.
I would love to visit these amazing destinations at least once, maybe I will include them on my list next time I am in the states
OMG I would be so nervous but this looks like a really cool place to visit. I love the history lesson that goes along with such a breathtaking view.
What an absolutely amazing view – stunning! This looks like an awesome vacay.