Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB)
Autumn is the perfect time to plan an easy weekend getaway. Want something a bit more adventurous than a leaf-peeping tour? Head to Chattanooga in southeastern Tennessee, about a two-hour drive from Atlanta and Nashville.
Go kayaking, whitewater rafting, hang gliding, zip-lining, hiking, or biking by day -- and still make it back to downtown Chattanooga in time to enjoy a waterfront concert or sample the city's local cuisine.
For more fun on an easy weekend in and around Chatanooga, read on.
Photo Caption: Just a short drive from downtown Chattanooga, the Tennessee River Gorge provides a stunning backdrop for hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking.
The Tennessee River cuts through Chattanooga, creating the historic North Shore neighborhood and the hip Bluff View Art District on its southern shore. Once a center of industry, the river and its banks now host countless outdoor activities and festivals. For a more active leaf-peeping experience, sign up for a kayaking trip.
More Info: Outdoor Chattanooga (tel. 423/643-6888; www.outdoorchattanooga.com) organizes regular kayaking excursions on the Tennessee River for paddlers of all levels, ranging from a two-hour sunset trip for beginners ($35 per person) to a two-day, 17-mile tour of the Tennessee River Gorge ($150 per person, including gear, meals, and transportation). Trips are based on weather and demand, but excursions usually run through the end of October and start up again in May.
Photo Caption: Kayakers in the Tennessee River Gorge, outside Chattanooga.
The valleys and thickly forested mountains of southern Tennessee and Georgia draw hang gliders from all over the world. Just a 30-minute drive outside of Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding (tel. 800/688-5637; www.hanglide.com) reports that it certifies five times as many pilots per year as any other hang-gliding school in the country. Soar to a height of either 2,000 or 4,000 feet, and experience breathtaking views of Lookout Valley. A tandem flight requires no prior experience; your instructor will teach you the basics of launching, stalling, turning, and landing over the course of the flight.
More Info: A single tandem flight costs $149 (2,000 feet) or $219 (4,000 feet); various packages are available, including extended training courses for those who want to learn to fly solo.
Photo Caption: Soar above valleys with Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding.
Less than an hour's drive from Chattanooga in Cherokee National Forest, the Ocoee River was the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics whitewater competitions. Today, some 24 outfitters organize guided rafting trips on up to Class V rapids.
Ocoee Outdoors (tel. 800/533-7767; www.ocoee-outdoors.com) offers half-day rafting trips on the Middle Ocoee ($35-$47 per person; Thursday-Mondays Memorial Day through Labor Day). Float along Class III and IV rapids; whether you have a calm or a wild ride depends on the current -- and your guide. For the more adventurous, a 10-mile full-day trip including the Upper Ocoee is offered on weekends ($93-$99 per person).
After Labor Day, trips continue on Saturdays and Sundays through early November; you'll have the benefit of fall foliage and water that's often warmer than the increasingly brisk air. Weekend trips start up again in mid-March, but you'll want to dress warmly, as the water temperature is often in the 40s in the early spring.
More Info: Ocoee Outdoors provides life jackets and helmets; a wetsuit, jacket, and boat shoes can be rented for an additional $15. All outfitters require that participants in rafting trips be at least 12 years old.
Photo Caption: Ocoee Outdoors is one 24 outfitters that offer rafting excursions on the Ocoee River.
The outdoor-adventure sport that took Costa Rica by storm has found its way to the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. In Summer 2010, Ocoee Zipz (tel. 877/7-ZIP-ZIP [947-947]; https://ocoeezipz.com) became the first zip-line course on the Ocoee River.
The canopy tour includes seven lines, culminating in a 65-foot-long, 95-foot-tall line on which riders reach speeds of 45 mph. Children will enjoy the Wizard of Oz theme; all ages will appreciate the views of Cherokee National Forest and the Ocoee River.
More Info: Zip-lining costs $79 per person; group rates are available. Riders must be at least 5 years old and weigh between 40 and 275 pounds. Ocoee Zipz is run by Ocoee Outdoors; ask about combo packages for rafting and zip-lining.
Photo Caption: Zip through the air at Ocoee Zipz, just outside of Chattanooga.
You don't have to venture far outside of city limits to enjoy the hiking and mountain-biking opportunities surrounding Chattanooga. Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (www.nps.gov/chch) has a network of 50-plus miles of hiking trails.
Just outside the park but connected to the same trail network, the Guild-Hardy Trail on Lookout Mountain is a family-friendly destination for mountain bikers. For more advanced cyclists, the Raccoon Mountain Trail System is just a 10-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga and includes 20 miles of single-track mountain-biking trails ranging from beginner to advanced.
For those without wheels or the time to stray far from downtown, the new Stringer's Ridge trail system is right on the North Shore of Chattanooga, less than a mile from Coolidge Park. The system is still under construction but already open to hikers; after its expected completion in Summer 2012, the Stringer's Ridge trail will stretch for 15 miles.
More Info: Outdoor Chattanooga (tel. 423/643-6888; www.outdoorchattanooga.com)
Photo Caption: The area surrounding Chattanooga offers hiking and mountain biking trails for a variety of skill levels.
Go kayaking, whitewater rafting, hang gliding, zip-lining, hiking, or biking by day -- and still make it back to downtown Chattanooga in time to enjoy a waterfront concert or sample the city's local cuisine.
For more fun on an easy weekend in and around Chatanooga, read on.
Photo Caption: Just a short drive from downtown Chattanooga, the Tennessee River Gorge provides a stunning backdrop for hiking, mountain biking, and kayaking.
More Info: Outdoor Chattanooga (tel. 423/643-6888; www.outdoorchattanooga.com) organizes regular kayaking excursions on the Tennessee River for paddlers of all levels, ranging from a two-hour sunset trip for beginners ($35 per person) to a two-day, 17-mile tour of the Tennessee River Gorge ($150 per person, including gear, meals, and transportation). Trips are based on weather and demand, but excursions usually run through the end of October and start up again in May.
Photo Caption: Kayakers in the Tennessee River Gorge, outside Chattanooga.
More Info: A single tandem flight costs $149 (2,000 feet) or $219 (4,000 feet); various packages are available, including extended training courses for those who want to learn to fly solo.
Photo Caption: Soar above valleys with Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding.
Ocoee Outdoors (tel. 800/533-7767; www.ocoee-outdoors.com) offers half-day rafting trips on the Middle Ocoee ($35-$47 per person; Thursday-Mondays Memorial Day through Labor Day). Float along Class III and IV rapids; whether you have a calm or a wild ride depends on the current -- and your guide. For the more adventurous, a 10-mile full-day trip including the Upper Ocoee is offered on weekends ($93-$99 per person).
After Labor Day, trips continue on Saturdays and Sundays through early November; you'll have the benefit of fall foliage and water that's often warmer than the increasingly brisk air. Weekend trips start up again in mid-March, but you'll want to dress warmly, as the water temperature is often in the 40s in the early spring.
More Info: Ocoee Outdoors provides life jackets and helmets; a wetsuit, jacket, and boat shoes can be rented for an additional $15. All outfitters require that participants in rafting trips be at least 12 years old.
Photo Caption: Ocoee Outdoors is one 24 outfitters that offer rafting excursions on the Ocoee River.
The canopy tour includes seven lines, culminating in a 65-foot-long, 95-foot-tall line on which riders reach speeds of 45 mph. Children will enjoy the Wizard of Oz theme; all ages will appreciate the views of Cherokee National Forest and the Ocoee River.
More Info: Zip-lining costs $79 per person; group rates are available. Riders must be at least 5 years old and weigh between 40 and 275 pounds. Ocoee Zipz is run by Ocoee Outdoors; ask about combo packages for rafting and zip-lining.
Photo Caption: Zip through the air at Ocoee Zipz, just outside of Chattanooga.
Just outside the park but connected to the same trail network, the Guild-Hardy Trail on Lookout Mountain is a family-friendly destination for mountain bikers. For more advanced cyclists, the Raccoon Mountain Trail System is just a 10-minute drive from downtown Chattanooga and includes 20 miles of single-track mountain-biking trails ranging from beginner to advanced.
For those without wheels or the time to stray far from downtown, the new Stringer's Ridge trail system is right on the North Shore of Chattanooga, less than a mile from Coolidge Park. The system is still under construction but already open to hikers; after its expected completion in Summer 2012, the Stringer's Ridge trail will stretch for 15 miles.
More Info: Outdoor Chattanooga (tel. 423/643-6888; www.outdoorchattanooga.com)
Photo Caption: The area surrounding Chattanooga offers hiking and mountain biking trails for a variety of skill levels.