Chattanooga City Guide
Why Chattanooga? Good question! It’s about an eight-hour drive (which we broke up by a stay in Atlanta), and it was one of the smaller cities in the South I hadn’t visited yet. What appealed to me about Chattanooga was the number of outdoor things to do. Hitting peak foliage on our trip made every outdoor adventure a much more mesmerizing experience. It’s not a city I think I’ll need to visit again, but it’s worth a 4-day weekend depending on how much you are trying to pack in.
Things to Do
Sculpture Fields at Montague Park
If you are looking for something free to do, this park is open to the public (there are lots of cute doggos to watch), and it’s basically an outdoor sculpture museum. The walking path takes you through the entire park, and it’s an excellent way to get some exercise that doesn’t involve any increase in elevation.
Ruby Falls
Ruby Falls is probably one of Chattanooga's most recognizable and popular attractions. Personally, I was not too fond of it, and I wouldn’t recommend it. However, the underground caves are very cool. Unfortunately I’m pretty claustrophobic felt very tightly crammed in these small underground spaces, plus they drag out this tour way too long. They make you walk so devastatingly slow, and as you pass other groups, it’s very close quarters. After an hour, when you finally reach the waterfall, you get five minutes to enjoy it and take pics, and then it’s the long slow walk back. Not to mention there is ONE elevator, so waiting to get back up can take a long time as well.
My tip, if you go, is to stay at the back of the line on the way there, so you feel less cramped and can take pictures or video without feeling like you are holding people up, and be at the front of the line on the way back. This way, you are first to get on the elevator and get out of there. Masks are not enforced, so that is something to consider. It is not cold in the caves, it’s actually quite muggy, so don’t dress for cold temps.
Rock City Gardens
We visited Rock City the same day as Ruby Falls since they are near each other. I enjoyed Rock City much more because you get some beautiful views, a waterfall no one rushes you away from, and the freedom to go at your own pace. Nothing here is overly strenuous and you get some really great views high up in the mountain without walking up steep elevations.
Hunter Museum of American Art
The museum building itself is quite cool. It reminded me a bit of the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle. It’s a decent-sized museum with a mix of modern and American art from different eras. It’s easily just an hour or so of your day to visit, and there is a beautiful view of the Walnut Street Bridge from the second-floor terrace.
Tennessee Aquarium
This aquarium was unique from others I’ve visited in the country. It’s divided into two buildings, and it takes you on two different experiences: a river journey and an ocean journey. The buildings are multiple stories, but they seamlessly lead you from the top down throughout the exhibits. Unfortunately, I didn’t take many photos inside, but I would recommend this, especially if you have children.
Snooper’s Rock
Surprisingly, one of the more popular outlooks in Chattanooga is attainable without a long hike. We followed the directions found here, and while the drive took about 40 minutes from our Airbnb, the hike was less than a mile and easy. We had the overlook to ourselves, but expect other hikers to be there if you go at sunrise.
Twin Falls
To get a better view of nature that includes waterfalls, you have to leave Chattanooga and venture into rural Tennessee. Twin Falls is a part of Rock Island State Park and was an hour and a half or so scenic drive. There weren’t a lot of gas stations or anything for that matter, so fill up the tank and bring water.
This was another easy short hike for the payoff of the view, I would recommend following the information on the All Trails app, and it will take you right to the parking area. The falls were beautiful, and a trail followed it down for lots of different views.
Falling Water Falls Trail
This hike began with probably the most frightening drive up Signal Mountain we had. There was quite a few hairpin turns that felt way too narrow, but we made it through with no issue. You almost miss the parking area to enter the trail because it’s on a turn on a residential street, but there is signage. Again, follow the directions on the All Trail map, and you won’t fail. You can see the falls from the overlook, but you can hear them. This isn’t a must-do, as there are so many hiking/overlook options, but going right before dusk gave us some pretty golden hour views.
Walnut Street Bridge
This pedestrian only bridge gives you a great view overlooking the river and parts of the city. The iconic blue makes it a great photo spot.
WHERE WE ATE
Chattanooga is not a foodie city, but we managed to find a few decent spots. Finding good coffee was another story.
I had eaten at the Milk & Honey in Nashville, and I hadn’t planned on going again, but this was one of the options at the local food hall - Market South. I was disappointed with the service, as this is one of those food halls that says they are a food hall but requires you to be sat by a host and served. We were ignored for a while, and it was frustrating, but thankfully the food was good. Not sure I’d recommend going to the food hall, though to be honest.
Aretha Frankensteins
This spot was a recommendation based solely on getting these pancakes. They aren’t a fluffy light consistency, they almost have more of a corn bread feel. I did like them and was absolutely stuffed until dinner time. The vibe inside is eclectic and funky, but we dined on the patio.
The Daily Ration
This spot was on the same street as our Airbnb (great neighborhood) so we stopped for a quick breakfast. It was pretty standard pancakes, bacon-and-eggs type place with decent local coffee. There is a ton of outdoor seating, and it was pretty fast. This is a good spot to eat before setting out for a hike, but nothing groundbreaking.
Syrup and Eggs
Syrup and Eggs is the type of simple yet satisfying breakfast spot that I wish we had in Orlando. Located in the Dwell hotel, this was without a doubt my favorite stop for breakfast. The cafe is really cute, and has a small outdoor patio to enjoy the fresh cool air.
Between a perfectly made Chai and hearty pancakes and a breakfast sammy, we were stuffed and quite content.
State of Confusion
I was surprised to see that this restaurant was not on Eater’s list of essential restaurants in Chattanooga because I thought it was fantastic, so don’t feel like it’s not worth a stop because it isn’t on their list. This Peruvian spot is casual with plenty of outdoor seating.
Focusing on cuisine from South America, New Orleans, and the Carolina Low country, we ate savory monkey bread which was amazing, and both had steaks for dinner. Everything was so flavorful, we were glad we pushed ourselves to not order food at the Airbnb after a long hike and dine out.
Two Ten Jack
This spot was highly recommended, as well as being on Eater’s list. It’s a nice spot to try both Ramen and Japanese-style izakaya dishes. Everything we had was delicious, but it wasn’t too different from options we have in Orlando in my opinion. Still worth a visit though. Just note there is outdoor seating.
Sugar Ribs
This was the first stop the first day we got to Chattanooga, meeting up with some friends who recommended this spot for their ribs. The ribs were quite delectable, but the sides were a bit lacking. However the location can’t be beat, up on a hill that overlooks the city, and at sunset it’s a nice addition to their outdoor porch.
Flying Squirrel
This was probably the best meal of the entire trip, so the fact that it was on Eaters list was absolutely warranted. Self-described as Eclectic Southern comfort, the plates are built for sharing here, but the portion sizes are big enough to eat solo. We tried quite a few dishes (not all seen here because sometimes you just wanna eat), but each dish was superb, and I could safely say most of it had the care of ingredients that elevated it beyond something you’d say you could make at home.
COFFEE
Finding good coffee was surprisingly tough despite the fact Chattanooga has plenty of coffee shops. Some places were so bad I won’t list them, but these are probably the safest bet for your journey.
Pretty good PSL that wasn’t overly sweet and nice baristas.
They have three locations, we visited the one inside Warehouse Row. Solid latte with no other flavors added and nice baristas.
I actually really liked the coffee here, and I went to both of their locations. The location on Rossville Ave definitely felt weird like we weren’t even supposed to be there. Dead quiet, not much seating, and a barista that seemed not to want to be bothered. Seemed like a co-op space that just happened to have a coffee cart. The other location on Broad Street was a little better experience wise. Just get your coffee and bounce.
I really wanted to love this place because it came recommended, but my latte was pretty weak. My husband ensured me his was good, so try it out for yourself. Great vibes though.
We explored the city but never came across many shops, boutiques, or much else to venture into, so if you plan a trip, make sure you have all your activities pre-planned. Don’t expect to just stumble across things to do.