Is Rock City Worth It

Considering a visit to Rock City and wondering if it’s worth it?

My family and I took a trip to Rock City as one of the stops on our two week road trip!

Rock City is an outdoor vista located atop Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s long been a popular tourist detour for those with a delight in nature and an interest in the history of the area.

With all that Rock City has to offer, it’s worth it to pay a visit. Rock City is an amazing landscape of delight in the bounty of nature. There is much to take in, being immersed in such an unforgettable outdoor environment. It’s complete with gardens, gigantic rock formations, rich history, and intriguing legend.

A winding trail leads through rock passages, over stone bridges, and through arched doorways, with ample opportunities to take in picturesque perspectives. A panoramic 360 degree view of seven states is even there for viewing at the top of the mountain.

Stay on the Enchanted Trail, which runs 3/4 of a mile, and you won’t miss a thing. For a detailed look at that trail and highlights of the journey, keep reading!

Kids Love the Boulders and Squeezes 

You’ll start the pathway at the Grand Corrider. Lower in elevation, it’s a delight to walk along this shady path, littered with tons of massiver boulders and gorgeous greenery.

Coming up is Needles Eye – a tight squeeze between two larger-than-life rocks, the kids loved squishing through this teeny space!

Lots of Bridges Make for a Fun Path

Next is Gnomes overpass, one of the many, many bridges at Rock City. The majority of the bridges are quaint stone walkways with rocks building up the sides – highly lovely and fun to walk upon.

You’ll run into two main attraction bridges shortly after Gnomes Overpass – the Swing-a-Long Bridge and the Stone Bridge.

Both will take you to the height of Rock City, Lover’s Leap, but the Stone Bridge is a nice alternative for any who prefer to be on something stationary that high up in the air.

Breaking up your group is not an issue, either, if you have ones that want to travel a separate bridge. The two bridges end up running almost side by side.

The Views are Worth It Alone

At the point, you’ll be getting close to Lover’s Leap and some incredible views! Immediately prior to Lover’s Leap, you’ll hit the Eagle Statue on your left.

Lover’s Leap and the See Seven States view will be right next to each other, with Lover’s Leap coming up first. And yes, it’s true you can actually see seven states in a 360 degree panoramic, all from the top!

Cascading next to Lover’s Leap is the Sky Bridge and a (manmade) waterfall. The rushing water heightens the experience and makes for a lovely photo opportunity when taken from afar.

You’ll have a photo opp for the Lover’s Leap and waterfall early in your walk, but you’ll get the best picture later on the trail, as begins to it wind downwards (photo further below in this post).

The History and Legend are Quite Interesting

The Rock City area was originally used as hunting and cleaning grounds by Native Americans. In 1823, two missionaries, William Chamberlain and Daniel S. Butrick, wanted to evangelize the Native Americans and came across Rock City.

Garnet and Frieda Carter purchased it around 1924 and built a mini-golf course (the nation’s first one!), beautiful gardens, and a huge fairytale attraction (the original name being Fairyland).

Carter also enlisted a young painter to advertise the site by painting “See Rock City” upon a sizeable number of barns in the area – still there today, those three words helped establish Rock City as a prominent tourist attraction by the end of the 1930’s.

You can read more about the history of Rock City here.

As mentioned, you’ll hit that marvelous view of Lover’s Leap further down once you get to the Under Cliff Passage. Notice the face in the cliff in the top right photo? That stone profile is a sight to see, and remarkably resembles someone of Native American heritage.

The legend of Lover’s Leap is a Cherokee tale in the dramatic venue of Romeo and Juliet. Two lovers from feuding tribes came to a sorrowful end as one was taken prisoner and thrown from Lover’s Leap, and the other, in her distress, jumped after him. So the story goes.

Rock City is Worth It for the Fantastic Photo Opps

I would be amiss if I failed to emphasize the plethora of opportunities to pull out camera and snap a few fun photos!

Not only are the rocks, waterfall, and mountain views worth capturing, Rock City has adorable, quaint red doors, just ready and waiting as a backdrop for your special shot.

The Specific Kid Areas and Details are Worth It for the Kiddos

There are numerous details that make this place delightful and unique for kids!

Rock City took special care to even include some more recent features to enhance the experience for children, such as –

❤️ a glowing jewel fence railing
🧡 a tunnel with glass ornaments in the ceiling and colorful fiber optics
💛 a newer segment entitled Rainbow Hall with handmade glass windows in rainbow order

And what a treat for us…we were able to witness an artist at work, placing the finishing touches on the new entrance to the Hall of the Mountain King – a troll sculpture, an absolute masterpiece!

The last leg of the trip is Magic Valley, the home of Fairyland Caverns.

You’ll find the history of Fairyland Caverns, numerous scenes from different fairy tales, and a giant set up of a a fairytale place called Mother Goose Village. Quite a sight to see!

For a complete map of the trail, click here.

Though I’ve listed the main highlights for you, Rock City does have more to offer than the myriad of sights shown here! Is Rock City worth it? Absolutely – Check it out for yourself!

Those red doors are open…will you be one to walk through?

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My Can’t-Do-Without Travel Products

If you’re taking a trip this year, here are some of my favorite products I always take with me! These are affiliate links, so if you do decide to use one of them, I’ll earn a commission. But in honesty, these are the exact products I use and recommend to everyone, even my own friends and family 😊…

~ Compression Packing Cubes – If you’ve never heard of these, do yourself a favor and take a look! These cubes compress and hold your clothes, leaving room for other items in your bag or suitcase. If you love being organized, you’ll love these as they fit nicely and keep everything neat and orderly. The reason I love this particular brand is because they have a card slot on each cube where you can write what’s inside (instead of having to guess every time or try to peer through muddled mesh). In all my research, these are the only cubes I’ve found that have these labels – they’re a game changer and a head above other compression cubes. Several colors to choose from!

~ Honey House Naturals Bee Bar Lotion – This was a lifesaver out in the dry Arizona heat that almost killed my skin! Easy to pop in your purse, they come in both travel size and full size. Amazon even has a value pack where you can get one of each. Hawaiian scent is amazing and my favorite by far. I picked up a travel size in a gift shop in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park and just about cried for joy. My son gifted the full size to me for Christmas and I use it year round now!

~ Crocs Women’s Swiftwater Sandals – These are my everything shoes in the summer. No, they’re not the clunky Crocs that you’re used to seeing. These are cute and feminine and so comfortable they pass the day-long amusement park test. I always make sure to pack them when I know there will be warm weather days. There are many different color options – we always have at least 2 pairs in our house!