The Ultimate Guide To Rock City
Rock City, a world of beautiful nature atop the Lookout Mountain!
Rock City, an amalgam of natural and man-made wonders, is a popular tourist attraction of the southeastern US, which is cherished by the states of Georgia and Tennessee!
Located atop the Lookout Mountain, Rock City is home to unfathomably beautiful nature, including rock formations, an imposing waterfall, lush gardens, caves, and overlooks offering spectacular views of the surrounding valleys! However, besides the natural wonders, Rock city also features various man-made wonders, including several art installations throughout the gardens, a swinging bridge, and the Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village, which showcases several sculptures from popular fairytales and nursery rhymes.
Rock City started as a side project of the real estate magnate and entrepreneur Garnet Carter and his wife, Frieda Carter. Frieda Carter’s fascination with folktales and fairytales led to the construction of the Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village at Rock City. Today Rock City is one of the most sorted after destinations in the southeast US, popularly known for its nature trails, spectacular valley vistas, and several seasonal events, including Enchanted Garden of Lights, Summer Music Weekends, Rocktoberfest, Shamrock city, and others!
Though located in Georgia, Rock City is just a few miles from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, making it a great day-trip destination from downtown Atlanta and Chattanooga!
Rock City is just two hours drive from downtown Atlanta and is located right next to downtown Chattanooga in Tennessee, close to a couple of other popular attractions in Tennessee, including Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. All attractions and overlooks in Rock City are accessible via a self-guided tour along the Enchanted Trail, a short and easy 0.8-mile nature trail winding through the lush gardens and rock formations, offering access to other features in the Park.
Here is my ultimate guide to Rock City, featuring essential trip-planning information, major attractions, hiking trails, activities, and recommendations on hotels and restaurants near Rock City!
Planning Your Trip To Rock City
Flying into and staying in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and visiting a couple of other Lookout Mountain attractions, is the best way to get the most out of your trip to Rock City!
Best Time To Visit Rock City: Rock City is open throughout the year and is a year-round destination! However, spring and fall are the peak seasons at Rock City, when temperatures are perfect for outdoor activities. Summers are pretty hot and humid in Georgia, but given the high altitude, heat shouldn’t be a very big problem at Rock City. Winters are cold with some snowfall in Rock City, but if you don’t mind cooler temperatures and use layered clothing, winter is also a good time to visit Rock City.
Time Required At Rock City: Rock City isn’t very massive, and given the well-organized vista points and attractions along the main Enchanted Trail, you won’t need more than 3 – 4 hours to explore all of Rock City.
Getting To Rock City: The best way to get to Rock City is by directly flying into Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, but a lot of people also fly into Atlanta or Nashville International Airports and then drive to Rock City. Alternatively, you could also take an Amtrak train or a Greyhound bus to the closest city and then drive to Rock City.
- Flight: The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA), Chattanooga, Tennessee, just 15 miles from Rock City, is the closest major domestic airport to Rock City. However, you could also fly into a couple of international airports near the Park – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Atlanta, Georgia, about 128 miles from Rock City and Nashville International Airport (BNA), Nashville, Tennessee, approximately 138 miles from Rock City.
- Train: The Atlanta Peachtree Station, an Amtrak train station located right in downtown Atlanta about 118 miles from Rock City, is serviced by several Amtrak train services and is the closest Amtrak Station to Rock City.
- Bus: Greyhound offers bus services to Georgia and Tennessee, with two Greyhound bus stops, Chattanooga in Tennessee and Trenton in Georgia, located within 15 miles from Rock City.
Tickets & Parking At Rock City: Rock City offers general admission tickets, which are valid for most days, except the seasonal special events in the Park. Special Premiere Events admission tickets are required to enter the Park for seasonal events, including Shamrock City, Summer Music Weekends, Rocktoberfest, and a couple of other events. You can book your tickets online on the Rock City website. There’s complimentary parking offered at Rock City for the duration of your visit to the Gardens.
Lodging In Rock City: While the lodging options right next to Rock City in Lookout Mountain are limited to a couple of Bread and Breakfasts, you will find plenty of excellent hotels in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Here’re my top picks for hotels near Rock City
Dining In Rock City: There’re quite a few dining options inside Rock City, including Cafe 7, a full-service restaurant with terrace seating, Big Rock Grill serving made-to-order meals, including soups, salads, and sandwiches, and Cliff Terrace offering comfort food. You will also find a Starbucks, a Fudge Kitchen, Dipping Dots, and several vending machines in the Park.
Other Attractions Near Rock City: Rock City is located pretty close to many popular attractions in Tennessee, especially the attractions in and around Lookout Mountain, including Ruby Falls and Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, which I highly recommend visiting on a trip to Rock City.
Things To Do In Rock City
Follow the Enchanted Trail to explore the several attractions in Rock City. I recommend starting with the mountain overlooks and visiting the Fairyland Caverns & Mother Goose Village while exiting the Park.
Enchanted Trail: The Enchanted Trail is the primary trail in Rock City that meanders through the gardens, leading visitors to the several attractions and vista points in the Park. The Enchanted Trail passes through several art installations and rock formations in the Park, including Grand Corridor, Hall of the Mountain King, Mushroom Rock, Fat Man’s Squeeze, and many others. There’re a couple of bypass trails and a separate wheelchair-friendly ramp. However, the wheelchair ramp only provides access to the mountain overlooks but not the other attractions in the Park, like Fairyland Caverns or Mother Goose Village.
Lover’s Leap: The most iconic spot in Rock City, Lover’s Leap is an observation deck atop a rock extending out from the Lookout Mountain, featuring breathtaking views of the valley below and the beautiful High Fall. The Rock got its name from the local Cherokee legend, according to which two lovers, Nacoochee and Sautee, lost their lives at Lover’s Leap. Sautee was chained and thrown down from the top of this Rock, followed by Nacoochee, who was heartbroken and ended her life by jumping from here to her death.
See Seven States: Located close to Lover’s Leap, the See Seven States is another popular mountain overlook in Rock City, which offers views of seven different states on a clear day, including Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Swing-a-Long Bridge: The Swing-a-Long Bridge is a 180 feet long suspension bridge along the Enchanted Trail, featuring sweeping views of Chattanooga Valley. The bridge is made of wooden planks, and it sways and swings as you walk across the bridge, making it a fun and thrilling experience.
Fairyland Caverns & Mother Goose Village: Inspired by folktales and fairytales, Frieda Carter created Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village in Rock City. Fairyland Caverns houses several sculptures depicting scenes and characters from famous fairytales, illuminated using colorful lighting inside the dark cave. The Mother Goose Village is a section inside the Fairyland Caverns, which features many colorful figurines and illustrations of scenes from popular nursery rhymes.
Events In Rock City: Rock City hosts several seasonal events throughout the year, adding to the regular experience at the Garden! Here’re the most popular events at Rock City
- Summer Music Weekends: Live Country music on the weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
- Rocktoberfest: Rocktoberfest, the celebration of German heritage and fall foliage in Rock City on the weekends in October, includes live German music, dance, and food.
- Enchanted Garden of Lights: The Enchanted Trail of Rock City is decorated with a ton of Christmas lights during the winter months, transforming Rock City into a fantasy land!
- Shamrock City: Celebrated in the month of March, Shamrock City is an Irish celebration and festival at Rock City, which includes Irish music, costumed characters, and dancing.
There’re a few other celebrations at Rock City, including Earth Dayz, Southern Blooms Festival, and October Days. You can find the details about all Rock City events and the map of the Enchanted Trail online on the Rock City website.
Other Tennessee Attractions & Related Posts
I hope you enjoyed reading the post, The Ultimate Guide To Rock City, and I hope this will help you plan your trip to Rock City. You can find other attractions in Georgia in my Georgia Travel Guide.
Happy feeding your soul!
Shop Travel Gear
This is not a sponsored post, and I recommend products based on my experience. This may contain affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase using my link at no extra cost to you. More Travel Accessories.