Take a Hike: Three of Chattanooga's Best Trails

This amazing weather has us wanting to be outside any chance we can get! It’s no small wonder that Chattanooga was named the “Best Town Ever” by Outside Magazine last year—we’re not short on incredible places to experience the outdoors. Lace up your boots, grab your pack and check out some of our favorite local hikes!

Sunset Rock (Lookout Mountain)

Difficulty: Easy 
Distance: 0.1 miles, but with plenty of connecting trails

This hike is one of Chattanooga’s most popular—and for good reason. An easy five-minute trek from the parking lot takes visitors to an incredible 80-foot cliff with panoramic views of the city. This trail is dog-friendly and is usually pretty busy on the weekends, but it’s definitely worth the trip! Time it to make sure you catch breathtaking views of the sunrise or sunset. 

Directions: Take Broad St. toward Lookout Mountain. Follow Broad St. until it turns into Cummings Hwy. Continue on Cummings Hwy until left turn onto Scenic Hwy. Take Scenic Hwy for approx. 4 miles to a right turn onto W. Brow Rd. Parking lot will be on the left within 1.5 miles.

Snooper’s Rock Trail (Cumberland Trail, Prentice Cooper State Forest)

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 6 miles round trip

Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management Area is a 25,000-acre gem located just a few minutes drive from Downtown Chattanooga. This trail has amazing overlooks of the Tennessee River Gorge, and is great for birdwatching or viewing wildflowers in the spring.

Directions: Take U.S. Highway 127 North to the Signal Mountain Road Exit. Stay on Signal Mountain Road for 3.1 miles, and turn left on Suck Creek Road. Stay on Suck Creek Road for approximately nine miles, and turn left at Choctaw Road. Follow Choctaw for a quarter of a mile. Turn left on Game Reserve Road. Cumberland Trail parking is approximately four miles on the right. Snooper’s Rock Trail, which leads to Indian Rock House, begins across the road from the parking area.

Lula Lake trails (Lookout Mountain, Georgia)

Difficulty: Easy to moderate, depending on the trail
Distance: Individual hikes from .25 to 1.7 miles

One of the most beautiful outdoor destinations in the Chattanooga area, the 8,000-acre Lula Lake Land Trust is a must-see for visitors and a local favorite. The catch? It’s only open to the public the first and last Saturday of each month, so you’ll have to plan ahead. While you’re there, make sure to see the old railroad beds, the cascades of Lula Falls and the bluff views of the Chattanooga Valley. For more information or to find out open days, visit http://lulalake.org/.

Directions: Take Hwy. 58 South from St. Elmo up Lookout Mountain to a T-intersection with Lula Lake Road. Turn left (south) and go 4.5 miles to the gravel drive entrance (normally) marked on the left. Follow the gravel drive to an area marked for parking.