Activities

Surrounded by mountains and a river that runs through the heart of downtown, Chattanooga has earned a reputation as a premier outdoor destination! Within an hour’s drive from the bustle of the revitalized and vibrant downtown districts, you’ll find world-class rock climbing, mountain biking, paddling, hiking, and more. It’s easy to see why Chattanooga was voted “Best Town Ever” by Outside Magazine readers twice! Choose an activity below to get information and inspiration for your next outdoor adventure in the Scenic City.

Why Chattanooga?

Lonely Planet – Ranks Chattanooga #3 in their Best in the U.S. destinations to visit in 2018.

Outside Magazine – Named Chattanooga “Best Town Ever” twice based on readers votes.

National Geographic Adventure – Chattanooga’s one of the “Best Adventure Towns in the US to Live + Play”.

Singletracks.com Named Chattanooga one of the top 10 best mountain biking destinations in North America in 2014 and ranked Chattanooga #5 of the 10 Best US Mountain Bike Towns with the Lowest cost of living in 2018.

New York Times – Names Chattanooga 1 of 45 cities worldwide to visit.

Travel + Leisure  – Named Chattanooga as one of the five “Next Great Escapes” and calls Chattanooga a “cultural find”.

Southern Living – “This walkable Tennessee River town constantly provides new reasons to explore.”

CNN Travel – CNN calls Chattanooga a “regional gem,” and “Scenic City USA” with “literally dozens of attractions packed along the city’s downtown riverfront”.

Chattanooga is…

A mecca for climbers. There’s more rock to climb within a 25-mile radius of the Scenic City than Boulder, Colorado.

A mountain biking destination. With over 100 miles of singletrack within 15 miles of downtown.

An hour from the Ocoee River. The upper Ocoee was the site of the 1996 Olympic Course for whitewater canoe and kayak events. The Middle Ocoee is the most popular and commercially rafted whitewater river in the country seeing over 200,000 commercial rafting guests, and 10,000 private boaters annually.

World-renowned for training hang gliding pilot hopefuls at the Lookout Mountain Flight Park and Training School. People from all over the world come to learn there, and the school graduates more pilots than any other school in the world.

Home to the deepest commercial cavern and tallest underground waterfall in the U.S. Ruby Falls is located on Lookout Mountain.

Home to the first and largest National Military Park, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

Home to one of the world’s longest pedestrian bridges. The Walnut Street Bridge was erected in 1891 and is 2,376 feet long.

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