While townies wine and dine in the city, nature lovers will find plenty of recreation in the Scenic City, twice voted “Best Town Ever” by Outside magazine and ranked No. 13 on their 2023  list of “Best Mountain Towns in the United States.” Situated sweetly between the Appalachian Mountains and Cumberland Plateau, Chattanooga boasts a vast array of climbing, biking, hiking, and water sport opportunities fit for any adventurer.

Parks and Greenways

Chattanoogans are devoted to protecting their green spaces, whether it be improving facilities and accessibility of city parks or conserving biodiversity within the 50,000 acres of canyons, caves, mountains, and waterways woven throughout the region. With seven regional state parks and counting, the protected range of natural areas and forests only continues to grow. North Chickamauga Creek Gorge is forecasted to be one of Tennessee’s newest state parks, while a couple counties over, Savage Gulf State Natural Area was recently instated as a state park with nearly 19,000 acres of scenic vistas, waterfalls, and old-growth forest. Booker T. Washington State Park, one of two parks that was available to Black Tennesseans before the park system’s desegregation in 1962, was awarded Excellence in Innovation by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation in 2023. To the east of Chattanooga, Red Clay State Historic Park pays homage to the Cherokee who originally inhabited the region, and just over the state line, Georgia’s Cloudland Canyon State Park is home to many wild caves and waterfalls. Well-loved parks such as Harrison Bay, Cumberland Trail State Park, South Cumberland, and Prentice Cooper State Forest continue to be popular sites for boating, camping, climbing, hiking, fishing, and birding.

Chattanooga hopes to become the first National Park City in the United States, which would classify it next to London and Adelaide as a city devoted to conserving green spaces and improving city infrastructure for healthier standards of living. Last year, Booker T. Washington State Park announced an all-terrain wheelchair that is available for visitors with mobility challenges to reserve for free. A park in the Riverview neighborhood is transforming into an inclusive recreational area for children of differing abilities and ages. Listed on Time Out’s list of “Best Riverwalks in the United States,” the Tennessee Riverwalk provides 16 miles of accessible paved walkway populated with restaurants, shops, and bike rental stations. Enterprise South Nature Park, North Chickamauga Creek, and South Chickamauga Creek offer other popular greenways.

Hiking and Mountain Biking

Whether chasing waterfalls, rugged terrain, or simply a bit of fresh air, over 50 trailheads in the area promise unlimited recreation for hikers and bikers of all levels. For the more ambitious hikers, the recently opened River to Clouds Route is a 34-mile trail connecting the Tennessee Riverwalk to Cloudland Canyon State Park. Raccoon Mountain Reservoir Loop, Big Daddy Loop on Lookout Mountain, Mullens Cove Loop at Prentice Cooper, and Stringer’s Ridge in Northshore are favorite spots for trail runners, while stunning scenic overlooks can be reached at Prentice Cooper’s Snooper’s Rock, Lookout Mountain’s Sunset Rock, or Signal Mountain’s Edward’s Point. Local waterfalls include Glen Falls, Rainbow Falls, Falling Water Falls, and Lula Falls, while Cloudland Canyon is home to the Cherokee and Hemlock Falls.

Chattanooga has a blossoming scene for mountain bikers, drawing nearly 17,000 visitors to the city’s trails every year. Fall of 2023 saw the grand opening of several trail systems within a 30-minute drive from the city center. Alongside Signal Mountain, Walden’s Ridge Park now offers 10 miles of trails for biking, hiking, trail running, and bouldering, while Aetna Mountain opened four miles of biking trails with more slated to develop in upcoming years. Other well-loved spots include Guild-Hardy trails, Raccoon Mountain, Five Points, Stringer’s Ridge, White Oak Mountain trails, and Bauxite Ridge at Southern Adventist University.

Rock Climbing, Caving, and Deep Water Soloing

Dramatic landscapes and gorges cut by quick creeks and rivers make the Chattanooga region one of the most reputable sport climbing destinations in the United States, according to Outsider magazine.  Check out Lookout Mountain’s Sunset Rock or conquer the Tennessee Wall (or T-Wall) in Prentice Cooper State Forest. Climbers can compete in the annual Triple Crown Bouldering Series competition, which hosts one event at Soddy-Daisy’s Stone Fort (also called Little Rock City). A popular addition to the climbing scene is Woodcock Cove in Sequatchie County, featuring a freestanding sandstone pillar with dozens of available routes. 

For climbers interested in deep water soloing, be sure to visit Foster Falls and the 50-foot cliff line at Nickajack Lake. Cavers are sure to find more than enough territory to explore in the 7,000 caves within an hour of the city, including Ruby Falls, the deepest underground waterfall in the nation, and Raccoon Mountain Caverns, which offers wild cave and walking cavern tours.

Water and Air Adventures

Tucked against the Tennessee River and downstream of Chickamauga Lake, Chattanooga has no shortage of water activities to explore. USA Today ranked Chattanooga No. 5 on its list of “Best Urban Kayaking Spots,” and in 2022, Bassmaster magazine ranked Chickamauga Lake among the “Best Bass Lakes in the Southeast.” The Hiwassee and Ocoee Rivers to the northeast offer fly fishing, kayaking, and whitewater rafting. For those who are more inclined to soar to new heights, look no further than Lookout Mountain Flight Park and Chattanooga Skydiving Company for paragliding, hang-gliding, and skydiving opportunities.