ADVENTURE & EXPLORATION
EXPLORE THE NATURAL AMENITIES IN AND AROUND MCLEMORE.
A NATURE LOVER’S PARADISE
Beginning on the quiet shores of the Tennessee River and extending across northwestern Georgia to its end in northern Alabama, Lookout Mountain is a narrow, 75-mile-long ridge of the Cumberland Plateau, a spur of the Appalachian Mountains. The mountain’s highest point reaches an elevation of 2,393 feet.
Because of its diverse natural settings and microclimates, the area has grown in stature internationally for its outdoor events and activities. The surrounding mountains and valleys provide access to over 50 trailheads for hiking, running, and mountain biking for the casual outdoor person to the endurance athlete. It has been the site for amateur and professional competitions, including the Rock/Creek Trail Series, USA Cycling’s Tour of Georgia, the USPRO National Championships, multiple IRONMAN triathlons, and the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship.
The region is home to a plethora of national and state parks, protected wilderness areas, and natural areas preserved for the enjoyment of locals and visitors. An uncommon concentration of magnificent waterfalls decorate the landscape, including DeSoto Falls, Cloudland Canyon Falls, Lula Lake Falls and Little River Falls.
The landscape’s unique geological makeup has earned attention for its rock climbing, bouldering and caving. Pigeon Mountain is home to Rocktown, a magnificent sandstone boulder field, as well as Ellison’s Cave, the 12th deepest cave in the United States, which features a staggering vertical drop of 586 feet.
From naturalists to adventurists, the Lookout Mountain area has something for anyone who enjoys the outdoors.
LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA
Located in the northwest tip of Georgia, the area on and around Lookout Mountain has a rich geological history and unique topography ideal for the outdoor enthusiast. From rock climbing and bouldering to hiking and cycling, as well as simply relaxing and enjoying a view, the region is a veritable playground for anyone who loves being outside.
CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE
For two years in a row, the readers of Outside Magazine voted Chattanooga and the area surrounding McLemore as the best town to live in the United States. Browse through some of the destinations and activities in the area to discover why so many people are falling in love with this unique place in the mountains.
TRAVEL CHANNEL
The editors of the Travel Channel are also big fans of Chattanooga and the surrounding area, Read more to learn about the numerous attractions in and around this special intersection of northwest Georgia and East Tennessee. LEARN MORE
POPULAR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
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![Ellison's Cave on Pigeon Mountain, Georgia]()
CAVING
From Ellison’s Cave to Byers Cave, the region is home to some of the most sought after cave systems in North America.
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![Boy rock climbing and bouldering]()
ROCK CLIMBING
Sheer cliff walls of limestone and ancient sandstone boulder fields provide a paradise for climbing enthusiasts.
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![waterfall pouring over rocks]()
WATERFALLS
From Lula Lake Falls to DeSoto Falls and Cloudland Canyon, waterfalls abound throughout the Lookout Mountain area.
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![hiker in a yellow poncho on a trail with coniferous trees on either side]()
TRAILS
Numerous state parks nearby are host to various hiking trails, including five miles of freshly cut trails at McLemore.
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![View from Lookout Mountain over the Tennessee River]()
SCENIC VIEWS
For a relaxed setting to simply enjoy the views, Lookout Mountain offers multiple easy access cliff-edge vantage points.
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![Road cyclist leaning into a left hand turn]()
ROAD CYCLING
The roads around McLemore are famous among cyclists for their steady climbs, fast descents and long straightaways.
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![Mountain bike leaning against a cedar tree at sunset]()
MOUNTAIN BIKING
For novices to pros, Lookout Mountain offers some of the most diverse mountain biking trail systems in the southeast.
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![Sunset peaking through trees]()
PARKS
Protected wilderness areas, as well as national and state parks, offer visitors a glimpse into history and natural beauty.
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![Blue and white hang glider and pilot from below]()
HANG GLIDING
Its unique location and elevation has made Lookout Mountain an international hotspot for hang gliding and paragliding.
10 Things To Do On Lookout Mountain
about lookout mountain
Geologically considered a ridge in the state’s Valley and Ridge province, Lookout Mountain stretches eighty-four miles from downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, to downtown Gadsden, Alabama. Only three miles of Lookout Mountain are located in Tennessee, while thirty-one miles lie in northwest Georgia and fifty miles extend into northeast Alabama. The mountain’s highest point is located near the community of High Point, Georgia, along the eastern brow, where it reaches an elevation of 2,393 feet.
Lookout Mountain is the southernmost extension of the Appalachian Plateau, a land mass that runs from Birmingham, Alabama, to Knoxville, Tennessee. Lookout Mountain is separated from Sand Mountain (also part of the Cumberland Plateau) by Lookout Valley, a two-mile-wide channel that includes the towns of Trenton and Rising Fawn, Georgia.
Along the top of Lookout Mountain, in Walker County, are incredible views of two different valleys: Chattanooga Valley to the east and Lookout Valley to the west. The narrow, flat top of Lookout Mountain is large enough for small communities and a few roads, and is well suited for homes built along the brow that provide outstanding scenery into the valleys below.
The precipitous drop-offs from the top of Lookout Mountain into the valleys also furnish an excellent site for hang-gliding. One of the world’s best-known hang-gliding schools, the Lookout Mountain Flight Park, is located in Georgia, just southwest of the West Brow community.
Outdoor enthusiasts nationwide are drawn to Lookout Mountain’s unusual landscape. Miles of caves wind through the limestone of the mountain. Ellison’s Cave on the Pigeon Mountain extension of Lookout Mountain in Georgia is the deepest cave east of the Mississippi River. Cloudland Canyon State Park offers hiking in and around the deep gorge cut into the western edge of Lookout Mountain in Dade County. In the Alabama section of Lookout Mountain is the Little River Canyon National Preserve, which contains the longest river in North America that runs its course entirely on top of a mountain.
source: Peters, Andy. "Lookout Mountain." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Jul 1, 2014.
