Even if you haven't seen one of the celebrated advertisements on the roof of a barn, you've probably still heard about Rock City, one of the Lookout Mountain attractions. Garnet and Frieda Carter made the area already known as "Rock City" (some say as early as Civil War times people were already calling this beautiful area by that name.) into a public garden in 1932. It has seen countless visitors, adventurers or just nature lovers since.
PICNIC? yes
(though be aware you'll have to carry whatever you bring with you the whole time, so maybe bring a picnic snack)
SWIMSUIT? no
COST? Adults $19.95, Children 3-12 $11.95
Annual Pass for a Family of 6 is $119
(Lookout Mountain Residents' annual passes last 3 years as a beautiful favor from the owners of this park.)
AUTHOR'S RATING? four out of five stars
HOURS? Currently 8:30am-8pm
(And it's open much later when it is adorned with thousands of Christmas lights--that's worth another post!)
Rock City is a great place for a special family day. It has some exciting spots, like the Fat Man's Squeeze and the swinging bridge, and an underground cavern full of fairy tale creatures perfect for the little ones in the bunch.
Be advised that, although there are shortcuts, for the most part the park is meant to be walked all the way through on each visit. It usually takes our family about two hours to walk the whole park. Also, because of the rocks, squeezes, bridges and other features, strollers are not allowed. Be ready to carry/follow slowly your toddler or baby. (I found a sling most helpful during those baby years.)
There are amazing views of "Lover's Leap" and a waterfall over the side of the mountain. Because of these amazing views, my Mom Rule for Rock City is "All Feet Firmly On The Ground At All Times." If you see me walking through the park with all the little ones, you'll probably hear that rule spoken in different levels of panic volume throughout our trip. It's a great place, don't get me wrong! But it is an adventure!
The story is that seven states are visible from the lookout point. To commemorate this, there are seven flags with informative flagpole bases at this point. We enjoy the state info!
Quirky picture spots dot the last half of the walk.
At the entrance to the park there is a Starbucks and Big Rock Grill, a "short-order style restaurant offering hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, chicken fingers and similar items."
At the lookout vantage point (about halfway through your walk) is Cafe 7, a full serving dining option with southern cuisine.
Here's that Fat Man's Squeeze I was talking about. Don't worry, no one has ever actually gotten stuck!
I love this beautiful feature overlooking our city!
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