Outdoors + Recreation
Outdoors + Recreation
Chatt Choices™
High Point Climbing & Fitness
Stargazing in Chattanooga
Paddling the Scenic Waterways
Options Abound for Nature Lovers and Thrill Seekers Alike
While the city has plenty of eateries, bars, and activities for residents to enjoy, one can’t forget to mention the beautiful outdoors and recreational activities the Scenic City has to offer. Chattanooga has twice received the accolade of “Best Town Ever” by Outside magazine and ranked second on their 2024 list of “Nine Beautiful Mountain Towns in the Southeast.” Whether you like to bike, climb, hike, hunt, or hit the river, Chattanooga has something to offer every adventurer.
Parks and Greenways
With 50,000 acres of canyons, caves, mountains, and waterways in the region, it’s no surprise that Chatta-noogans are devoted to their green spaces, whether it’s improving current parks or creating new ones. In late 2024, North Chickamauga Creek Gorge near Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, became the state’s 59th state park. The city also allocated $500,000 to the renovation of Montague Park, the largest urban park in Chattanooga, with plans to build a new outdoor art museum and 13-acre site for soccer programs and other sports. The Tennessee Riverwalk offers 16 miles of paved walkway populated with restaurants, shops, and bike rental stations, earning it a spot on Fodor’s Travel’s list of “The 15 Best River Walks in the USA.” Chattanooga continues to set new goals for the city’s parks and outdoors plan, with the hopes of adding 16 miles of new greenway trails, seven new neighborhood parks, and 28 miles of paddle trails in the short-term future.
Just outside of Chattanooga, Walker County received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to complete the Chickamauga Battlefield Connector Trail, completing a just over 2-mile trail system from the battlefield to downtown Chickamauga.
Local parks, such as Harrison Bay, Cumberland Trail State Park, South Cumberland State Park, and Prentice Cooper State Forest, are well-loved by locals and are popular spots for boating, camping, climbing, hiking, fishing, and birding. More popular greenways can be found at Enterprise South Nature Park, North Chickamauga Creek, and South Chickamauga Creek.
Chattanooga still hopes to become the first National Park City in the United States, which would classify it alongside London, England, and Adelaide, Australia, as a city devoted to conserving green spaces and improving city infrastructure for healthier standards of living. As the city works through this 10-step journey, Chattanooga hopes to officially earn the title this year.
Hiking and Mountain Biking
If there’s one thing Chattanooga is known for, it’s an abundance of hiking trails. With more than 50 trailheads within 30 minutes of downtown, Chattanooga offers trails for hikers and bikers across all different skill levels. Popular trails include the Rivers to Clouds Route, from the Tennessee Riverwalk to Cloudland Canyon State Park; Raccoon Mountain Reservoir Loop; Guild-Hardy Trail; and Stringer’s Ridge.
Beautiful overlooks can be found at Sunset Rock on Lookout Mountain, Edward’s Point on Signal Mountain, and Snooper’s Rock at Prentice Cooper. For those looking to chase waterfalls, check out Glen Falls, Rainbow Falls, Lula Falls, and Falling Water Falls. Just over the state border lay Hemlock and Cherokee Falls at Cloudland Canyon.
For those who prefer mountain biking, Chattanooga has plenty of trails to offer. In 2023, the Tennessee River Gorge Trust opened the first phase of Aetna Mountain Trails, currently offering 4 miles of trails with a goal of more than 10 miles upon its completion. Other popular spots include Walden’s Ridge Park on the side of Signal Mountain, the Guild-Hardy trails, and Raccoon Mountain.
Rock Climbing, Caving,
and Deep Water Soloing
With beautiful landscapes, Chattanooga is a top-tier destination for rock climbing. In fact, Outside magazine recognized Chattanooga on its list of “The Five Best Climber-Friendly Cities,” noting that Chattanooga had the best climbing for sport. Whether a climber prefers natural settings, like Sunset Rock on Lookout Mountain, or urban, like Walnut Wall in Coolidge Park, there’s bound to be a climb for everyone.
For those looking to get involved with the climbing community, don’t forget to register for the annual Triple Crown Bouldering Series competition, which hosts one event at Soddy-Daisy’s Stone Fort (also called Little Rock City). Or, check out the Memphis Rox climbing festival at the same location. For climbers who prefer deep water soloing, popular stops include a 50-foot cliff at Nickajack Lake, Foster Falls, and Tellico Lake.
With Chattanooga in the TAG region (Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia), the city remains a great caving destination, with more than 7,000 caves within 60 miles of downtown. Popular caving destinations include natural caves, like Pettyjohn’s Cave in Georgia, and commercial caves, like Raccoon Mountain Caverns.
Water and Air Adventures
With the lovely Tennessee River, Harrison Bay, and Chickamauga Lake all found in or near Chattanooga, it’s no surprise that the Scenic City is a popular spot for water activities. In fact, in 2023, Chattanooga ranked second in Best Swim Course in the IRONMAN Athletes’ Choice Awards – North American. To the northeast of Chattanooga, check out the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers for all things fly fishing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting. For those who prefer air travel, city staples such as the Lookout Mountain Flight Park and Chattanooga Skydiving Company are the perfect stops for paragliding, hang-gliding, and skydiving.
Options Abound for Nature Lovers and Thrill Seekers Alike
While the city has plenty of eateries, bars, and activities for residents to enjoy, one can’t forget to mention the beautiful outdoors and recreational activities the Scenic City has to offer. Chattanooga has twice received the accolade of “Best Town Ever” by Outside magazine and ranked second on their 2024 list of “Nine Beautiful Mountain Towns in the Southeast.” Whether you like to bike, climb, hike, hunt, or hit the river, Chattanooga has something to offer every adventurer.
Parks and Greenways
With 50,000 acres of canyons, caves, mountains, and waterways in the region, it’s no surprise that Chatta-noogans are devoted to their green spaces, whether it’s improving current parks or creating new ones. In late 2024, North Chickamauga Creek Gorge near Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, became the state’s 59th state park. The city also allocated $500,000 to the renovation of Montague Park, the largest urban park in Chattanooga, with plans to build a new outdoor art museum and 13-acre site for soccer programs and other sports. The Tennessee Riverwalk offers 16 miles of paved walkway populated with restaurants, shops, and bike rental stations, earning it a spot on Fodor’s Travel’s list of “The 15 Best River Walks in the USA.” Chattanooga continues to set new goals for the city’s parks and outdoors plan, with the hopes of adding 16 miles of new greenway trails, seven new neighborhood parks, and 28 miles of paddle trails in the short-term future.
Just outside of Chattanooga, Walker County received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to complete the Chickamauga Battlefield Connector Trail, completing a just over 2-mile trail system from the battlefield to downtown Chickamauga.
Local parks, such as Harrison Bay, Cumberland Trail State Park, South Cumberland State Park, and Prentice Cooper State Forest, are well-loved by locals and are popular spots for boating, camping, climbing, hiking, fishing, and birding. More popular greenways can be found at Enterprise South Nature Park, North Chickamauga Creek, and South Chickamauga Creek.
Chattanooga still hopes to become the first National Park City in the United States, which would classify it alongside London, England, and Adelaide, Australia, as a city devoted to conserving green spaces and improving city infrastructure for healthier standards of living. As the city works through this 10-step journey, Chattanooga hopes to officially earn the title this year.
Hiking and Mountain Biking
If there’s one thing Chattanooga is known for, it’s an abundance of hiking trails. With more than 50 trailheads within 30 minutes of downtown, Chattanooga offers trails for hikers and bikers across all different skill levels. Popular trails include the Rivers to Clouds Route, from the Tennessee Riverwalk to Cloudland Canyon State Park; Raccoon Mountain Reservoir Loop; Guild-Hardy Trail; and Stringer’s Ridge.
Beautiful overlooks can be found at Sunset Rock on Lookout Mountain, Edward’s Point on Signal Mountain, and Snooper’s Rock at Prentice Cooper. For those looking to chase waterfalls, check out Glen Falls, Rainbow Falls, Lula Falls, and Falling Water Falls. Just over the state border lay Hemlock and Cherokee Falls at Cloudland Canyon.
For those who prefer mountain biking, Chattanooga has plenty of trails to offer. In 2023, the Tennessee River Gorge Trust opened the first phase of Aetna Mountain Trails, currently offering 4 miles of trails with a goal of more than 10 miles upon its completion. Other popular spots include Walden’s Ridge Park on the side of Signal Mountain, the Guild-Hardy trails, and Raccoon Mountain.
Rock Climbing, Caving,
and Deep Water Soloing
With beautiful landscapes, Chattanooga is a top-tier destination for rock climbing. In fact, Outside magazine recognized Chattanooga on its list of “The Five Best Climber-Friendly Cities,” noting that Chattanooga had the best climbing for sport. Whether a climber prefers natural settings, like Sunset Rock on Lookout Mountain, or urban, like Walnut Wall in Coolidge Park, there’s bound to be a climb for everyone.
For those looking to get involved with the climbing community, don’t forget to register for the annual Triple Crown Bouldering Series competition, which hosts one event at Soddy-Daisy’s Stone Fort (also called Little Rock City). Or, check out the Memphis Rox climbing festival at the same location. For climbers who prefer deep water soloing, popular stops include a 50-foot cliff at Nickajack Lake, Foster Falls, and Tellico Lake.
With Chattanooga in the TAG region (Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia), the city remains a great caving destination, with more than 7,000 caves within 60 miles of downtown. Popular caving destinations include natural caves, like Pettyjohn’s Cave in Georgia, and commercial caves, like Raccoon Mountain Caverns.
Water and Air Adventures
With the lovely Tennessee River, Harrison Bay, and Chickamauga Lake all found in or near Chattanooga, it’s no surprise that the Scenic City is a popular spot for water activities. In fact, in 2023, Chattanooga ranked second in Best Swim Course in the IRONMAN Athletes’ Choice Awards – North American. To the northeast of Chattanooga, check out the Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers for all things fly fishing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting. For those who prefer air travel, city staples such as the Lookout Mountain Flight Park and Chattanooga Skydiving Company are the perfect stops for paragliding, hang-gliding, and skydiving.
