Fall in Love with Chattanooga!
6 Fun Fall Activites (5 of which are FREE!)
The mountains surrounding Chattanooga burst with color during autumn and with near-perfect temperatures, fall is the ideal time to visit Chattanooga. We’ve put together a few ways you can explore the best views the city and surrounding area has to offer.
Explore By Foot:
1. Chattanooga recenly went through a multi-million dollar waterfront renovation, and the best way to see it is by walking. This walking tour meanders by the Aquarium Plaza, Bluff View Sculpture Gardens, Two Bridges, North Shore and Coolidge Park and The Passage. October is a mild month in our scenic city with temperatures averging in the 60s - perfect walking weather. Here is a great description of this tour: http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i4832-Walking_Tour_of_Riverfront_Chattanooga.html
2. For those interested in exploring some nearby hiking trails, we recommend hikingchattanooga.com to get started. It’s an index of most of the notable hiking trails surrounding downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee. Here you will find links to trail websites, trail descriptions, Lat and Long coordinates to trailheads, pictures of trail highlights, ratings, driving directions and more. There are dozens of trails listed here totaling over 416 miles of trails.
3. Or you can experience why the National Geographic Adventurer calls Chattanooga, "the regional climbing capital" with a rock climbing adventure. Novice to advanced climbers alike will find challenge and excitement on Chattanooga’s amazing crags. You never know what you will discover on your hiking adventure.
Explore By Car:
4. One of the most popular drives is Lookout Mountain which is home to Rock City, Ruby Falls and Point Park, a civil war battlefield. At Rock City or the Incline, you will have breath-taking views of Chattanooga and the surrounding mountains.
5. A drive through the Tennessee River Gorge is a site to behold, and there are great views of Chattanooga and the River Gorge from several of the scenic overlooks. If you decide to detour to TVA’s Pumped Storage Facility at Raccoon Mountain, you could easily leave an hour or two to drive around this impressive compound and get a number of pictures of the Gorge. Here are details of a recommended drive: http://www.trgt.org/page/driving-through-the-gorge-directions
Explore By Water (not free):
6. Speaking of the Tennessee River Gorge, you can travel through the gorge on the Tennessee Aquarium River Gorge Explorer or on the Chattanooga Riverboat, The Southern Belle to see the gorgeous fall colors of the Gorge. See all of Chattanooga’s boating options.
Fall Events:
Chattanooga Oktoberfest at First Tennessee Pavilion
Thrills and Chills at Tennessee Aquarium
Fall Leaf Cruises on Southern Belle Riverboat
River Rocks Outdoor Festival at Ross's Landing
Three Sisters Bluegrass Festival at Ross's Landing
Wine Over Water at Walnut Street Bridge
Haunted Caverns at Ruby Falls
Enchanted Maize at Rock City Gardens
Boo in the Zoo at Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park
Halloween Express at Tennessee Valley Railroad
Rocktoberfest at Rock City Gardens
