I Hiked, Paddled, and Caved in America’s First National Park City, Chattanooga
My feet crunched on fine pebbles on a muggy summer morning as I descended the final 100-yards to one of Chattanooga’s most well-known overlooks. Snooper’s Overlook is known for its panoramic views of the Tennessee River Gorge, with steep rock outcroppings and greenery as far as the eye could reach. As a climber, I’d been hearing about the Gorge for decades, but it wasn’t until 2025 that the region gained international recognition for its beauty and environmental impact.
Last spring, Chattanooga became North America’s first National Park City, joining an international movement that includes destinations such as London and Adelaide, Australia. The designation recognizes cities that demonstrate long-term commitment to protecting nature, expanding access to green spaces, restoring vital ecosystems, and community-led efforts to reconnect residents with the surrounding landscapes. Framed by the Appalachian foothills and the Cumberland Plateau, Chattanooga has been known as a premier adventure destination for decades. The National Park City designation simply acknowledges what locals have known all along.
Chattanooga set the stage for American National Park Cities. Today, at least six other cities are actively working to attain the coveted designation although their campaigns have yet to become public.
Although I was a resident of North Carolina and recreated in Tennessee for several years, Chattanooga escaped my attention up until recently. It wasn’t until I flew into the city for a week of hiking, paddling, and exploring this summer that I realized just why it’s been known as the “Scenic City,” and why Outside Magazine twice named it the “Best Town Ever” back in 2015. Whether you’re a paddling love or a dedicated hiker, here are six adventures worth adding to your itinerary in North America’s first National Park City.
Go Caving at Raccoon Mountain Caverns
Kentucky may be home to Mammoth Cave National Park, which includes the world’s longest known cave system, but the neighboring state of Tennessee holds more documented caves than any other state in the country with more than 10,000 (currently an estimated 20 percent of the nation’s caves) recorded by the Tennessee Cave Survey. Raccoon Mountain Caverns, just outside of Chattanooga, offers an accessible introduction to the region’s underground world with more than five miles of mapped passageways filled with intricate formations, delicate ecosystems, and wild landscapes.
I opted for the one-hour Crystal Palace Walking Tour, which follows well-maintained paths through cathedral-like rooms filled with stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, and delicate crystal formations. This tour offered an easy way to experience the cave’s grandiosity. But travelers who are looking for even more adventure can book a guided spelunking tour for a more involved experience where they may crawl through narrow passages, and climb over rocks during a two or three and a half-hour journey.
Visit Snoopers Rock Overlook
Few views in Chattanooga rival the sweeping panorama from Snoopers Rock Overlook. Located within the Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management Area, the overlook faces the Tennessee River Gorge, where the river dramatically winds across the landscape.
Reaching the overlook can be as easy or challenging as you want to make it. Many visitors walk roughly a mile and a half along a gravel road and root-covered trail to reach the vista. But hikers who are looking for more mileage can follow a longer section of the Cumberland Trail for a 6.3-mile round-trip moderate hike. I chose the shorter route on a humid afternoon in June, and enjoyed the quiet forest before emerging onto the rocky overlook with views entirely to myself. Sunrise and sunset are particularly rewarding times to visit the overlook when softer light settles over the gorge and temperatures are noticeably cooler.
Paddle to Williams Island
Despite its close proximity to downtown Chattanooga, Williams Island feels like a remote oasis for outdoor lovers. The 450-acre island has been occupied by humans for thousands of years, with archaeological discoveries indicating that it hosted indigenous settlements during both the Woodland and Mississippian periods.
Today, the Tennessee River Gorge Trust manages the island as a protected resource, while allowing visitors to hike, bird watch, camp by reservation, and participate in seasonal volunteer events. But the only way to reach it is by water, making the journey part of the adventure.
The easiest way to reach the island is to bring a boat (you can rent from L2 Outside) to the Suck Creek Boat Ramp before paddling two miles upstream to a boat dock on the island. Alternatively, water lovers can also head to the Coolidge Park Boat Launch and paddle eight miles downstream to the island. While I navigated a kayaking across the river, I had a hard time believing that ospreys, turtles, and bald eagles all call the region home until I saw a Grey Heron sun bathing on the island.
Chase Waterfalls at Middle Creek Falls
Chattanooga is one of the best places to chase waterfalls in the Southeast since it’s within an hour drive to 500 different waterfalls. Tucked at the base of Signal Mountain, Middle Creek Falls is among the area’s hidden gems. Getting there involves a 1.5-mile out-and-back hike with significant boulder hopping to reach swimming holes and luscious waterfall views. Although the trail disappears about .75 miles upstream, the area is known for its pristine water and refreshing atmosphere. I spent an afternoon soaking my feet in the surprisingly frigid water, which offered welcome relief from the Tennessee summer heat.
Hike a Section of the Trail of Tears
One of the qualities that makes Chattanooga’s outdoor recreation network so alluring is its historical significance. The Trail of Tears National Historic Trail passes through the city, giving adventurers direct insight into a period of time when the Cherokee people were forcefully removed from their homes in 1838 and 1839 before traveling through southeastern Tennessee.
Today, the region is home to a number of different interpretive sites and trail segments that allow hikers to reflect on this chapter of American history while getting outside. I took a short hike to Moccasin Bend through shaded forests and fields to learn about the nation’s only National Archeological District due to its importance as a cultural and historical destination.
Climb the Legendary Sandstone of the Tennessee Wall (T-Wall)
Recent rainfall prevented me from scaling the legendary Tennessee Wall (T-Wall), but there are few places in the Southeast that match the region’s reputation as a top-tier rock climbing destination. The sandstone cliffs of the Tennessee River Gorge draw athletes from all around the world with more than 600 established sport and traditional climbing routes that range in difficulty from 5.5 to 5.13. The T-Wall’s south-facing orientation also makes it a go-to destination during the winter, drawing hundreds of midwesterners who are looking for winter sunshine every year. Climbers can book a trip with a High Point guide to familiarize themselves with the area, snag a local guidebook, or scour Mountain Project for beta.
Where to Stay
Caving lovers can stay at the Raccoon Mountain Cavern Campground, where there’s a wide range of lodging options including RV and tent sites, cabins, and glamping. The campground is currently undergoing a renovation project that’s expected to near its completion in 2027.
Adventurers who also love city vibes should head to The Dwell Hotel downtown for a comfortable, boutique lodging with an on-site bar and close proximity to hot-spot restaurants like The Bitter Alibi, and Niedlov’s Bakery.
Mary Beth is a Colorado-based freelance writer who lived and recreated in North Carolina after falling in love with the state’s grassy balds while backpacking the Appalachian Trail in 2015. Today, she works as a columnist for Backpacker.
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