Hi there! Lookout Mountain, Georgia is such a unique place and one that is a great addition to any trip!
Lookout Mountain is located in the Northwest corner of Georgia, along the border with Chattanooga, Tennessee. You can access parts of Lookout Mountain from both Georgia and Tennessee, with the major attractions just a few minutes drive away from one another.
When visiting Lookout Mountain, in my opinion, there are three must-visit attractions – The Incline Railway, Ruby Falls and Rock City!
In this post I will be sharing information and tips for each site, as well as detailing how to spend the day at Lookout Mountain, Georgia!
I visited Lookout Mountain as a day trip from Nashville – about 2 hours each way!
Must Visit Attractions – Lookout Mountain, Georgia
Incline Railway
I recommend starting your day at Lookout Mountain by visiting the Incline Railway, located on the Tennessee side of the border.
The Incline Railway is a train that brings you up a super steep mile long trail to the top of Lookout Mountain. The ride itself is very fun, and from the top you (usually) will have amazing views.
The ride up and down are about 15 minutes each way, and you can spend as much time as you want checking out the views from the top of the mountain.
Sadly, when I visited it was very foggy and I couldn’t see anything from the top – but it was still fun to ride the train!
Be sure to check the weather before booking tickets to make sure that you’ll get good views, and not just clouds.
In total, I would budget about an hour for this stop. There’s not a ton to do at the top of the mountain, so you can easily check out the views and take photos in about 10 minutes.
Tickets for the Incline Railway are $15 for adults and $7 for kids!
Ruby Falls
After riding the Incline Railway, take the 7 minute drive over to Ruby Falls – also on the Tennessee side of the border.
Ruby Falls is a cave system inside of Lookout Mountain that houses the country’s largest underground waterfall! It is seriously super cool, and definitely worth taking a tour.
To start the 1.5 hour tour, you’ll take an elevator 260 feet down into the cave and begin the half mile walk to the falls. The cave walk is very cool and along the way you learn a lot of interesting history about the cave and how it was discovered.
Once you arrive at the waterfall, you’ll have about 5-10 minutes to check it out and see a light show! Then, you turn around and head out of the cave, following an almost identical path back to the elevator.
While the distance covered within the cave system isn’t very far (less than 1 mile round trip,) I don’t recommend this tour for those who have trouble walking long distances in tight spaces. The cave floor can be slippery, and there are several narrow and windy paths. That being said, this tour is definitely suitable for most children and adults!
Tickets to Ruby Falls are $23 for adults and $13 for children. Ruby Falls also offers zip-lining tours, that you can learn more about here!
Rock City
From Ruby Falls you’ll take a 10 minute drive across the Georgia border to arrive at Rock City!
Rock City is such an amazing place to spend time in nature, and, specifically, to see huge rock formations.
When you enter Rock City you’ll be provided with a map, and as you follow along the trails you see tons of plants and gorgeous views. You’ll even have a lookout point where you can see 7 states (if the weather is good!)
You can easily spend an hour and half exploring Rock City – especially if you’re with a group or with children.
Personally, I think this is the perfect place to end your day at Lookout Mountain. Walking through the trails and being in nature was the perfect way to relax after a full day of exploring!
Tickets to Rock City are $27 for adults and $15 for kids.
Hotels in Lookout Mountain, Georgia
I visited Lookout Mountain as a day trip from Nashville, and while it does make a great day trip, there are also lovely hotels in the area if you want to extend your stay!
You can easily stay on the Tennessee or Georgia side of the border and have access to all of the amazing attractions in the area!
Best Hotels near Lookout Mountain
- Hotel Indigo Chattanooga
- Moxy Chattanooga Downtown
- The Westin Chattanooga
- Kinley Chattanooga Southside
- The Edwin Hotel
- The Dwell Hotel
Well there you have it!
I hope you enjoyed my guide for how to spend the day at Lookout Mountain, Georgia! There are so many fun things to do in the area and Lookout Mountain is a fantastic, family friendly destination.
If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments!
Lastly, we appreciate you sharing this post with someone you know who would love a trip to Lookout Mountain, Georgia!
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♡Kate
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Love the great detailed guide for a day adventure. I would love to take the Incline Railway. Also , I would have to stop at Rock City.
I hadn’t heard of the other stops but I heard of Rock City before and desperately want to visit. It looks stunning!
Loved reading about the Lookout mountain in Georgia.It seems like you had a great time exploring the caves and Ruby falls! Would love to visit it!
the Incline Roadway looks soooo fun… and those views on Lookout Mountain omg! this really sounds like such a great day trip for someone visiting Tenn.
Wow, I’d love to do the incline railroad and the cave adventure at Lookout Mountain, GA! Thanks — I’d never heard of it before I read your post.
Love Lookout Mountain but still need to go to Ruby Falls! These are great pictures and a well thought out itinerary!
Thanks for such a detailed post. Very helpful!
Thanks for sharing!