Scenic drive & history · Tennessee

Chattanooga & Lookout Mountain day trip

Chattanooga & Lookout Mountain

A long day from Nashville to Chattanooga: the underground waterfall at Ruby Falls, a ride up one of the steepest passenger railways in the world to the Civil War overlooks of Point Park, then an evening walk across the restored Walnut Street Bridge to Coolidge Park and the Bluff View Art District.

Time: 13–14 hour day
Driving: About 4 hours of round-trip driving from Nashville, plus short hops around Chattanooga
Best time: All year; best April–May and October
Updated: October 14, 2026 at 12:27 AM Pacific

$4 USD

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A Civil War cannon on a rocky ledge at Point Park in fall, with orange leaves and bare branches framing the Tennessee River curving around Moccasin Bend and the hazy city of Chattanooga below — National Park Service · Public domain. October 2012 photograph of Garrity's Alabama Battery at Point Park; resized and displayed with crop.

Suggested times, not bookings

Your day at a glance

7:00 am CTLeave Nashville
10:00 am ETRuby Falls
12:15 pm ETSt. Elmo and the Incline Railway
1:45 pm ETPoint Park
4:30 pm ETCoolidge Park and the Walnut Street Bridge
5:30 pm ETBluff View Art District
7:15 pm ETReturn to Nashville

Highlights

Worth the trip

Ruby Falls, a waterfall deep inside Lookout Mountain, at the end of a guided cave walk
The Incline Railway's steep climb and the view over Moccasin Bend from Point Park
An evening walk across the newly restored Walnut Street Bridge to Coolidge Park and Bluff View

What’s in the guide

Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →

Plan for the conditions

Expected seasonal weather

In spring and fall, Chattanooga usually brings mild days and cool mornings, a few degrees cooler and breezier on top of Lookout Mountain, with fall color on the ridges in mid to late autumn. Low cloud and fog can wrap the mountain on damp mornings and hide the views. Summer is hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms, and winter brings short days and occasional ice on the mountain roads and on Monteagle. The Ruby Falls cave stays about 60°F all year. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.

Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.

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