We have been to Chattanooga many times. Yet there are still things that remain on our list of places to visit and things to do. Near the top of that list is to visit Ruby Falls on Lookout Mountain.
We have visited the neighboring attraction of Rock City Gardens a few times. Every time we go and drive by Ruby Falls we say we need to go there sometime. So it was high time for us to go and check out this other Chattanooga favorite.
We drove up Lookout Mountain with the beautiful views of the Tennessee River and the city below us. We pulled into the parking lot and saw the castle like structure there waiting for us.
Ruby Falls Visitor Information
- Tickets must be purchased in advance for a timed entry, cost is $26.95/adult and $16.95/child. There are different cave tour experiences that are offered-we went with the general cave tour for this visit.
- There is a restaurant on site as well as a souvenir shop. There are also treehouse-like bungalows to stay in.
- Bring a jacket as once you’re underground it will be colder.
- Get your cave tour tickets from the Ruby Falls website here
History of Ruby Falls
The story goes that there was a rumored cave deep in these mountains. In the early 1920s a guy named Leo Lambart heard the rumor and was then determined to find the cave. He bought the land and the dream began.
Using some geographical survey equipment of the day, he and a group of friends began digging through the rock. They kept digging until they had created a large enough space to build an elevator .
One day they noticed a small opening to a hole in the rock near the elevator. They came back with supplies and crawled their way through the opening and down into the cave.
They crawled on their stomachs in a space just barely large enough to fit them. They crawled like this for 17 hours before the cave opened up enough for them to stand.
They kept moving through the passageways of rock. They marveled at the incredible formations around them created by water and air pockets over time. They knew they had something amazing. Plans started forming on how they would build it into a place that everyone could come and see.
Today Ruby Falls gets visitors from all over the world. It has become of the favorite tourist spots in Tennessee. Visitors all come to be amazed just like Leo and his team at the hidden wonder of the caves.
Cave Tour of Ruby Falls
We took an updated, modern elevator down to begin the tour. We were met with ceilings barely over our heads and small winding paths through the rocks. The formations were highlighted with colored lights bringing out the incredible details of the rock around us.
While some parts of the path through the cave have been enhanced and widened to accommodate people, most of it has been left in its natural state. So with that there comes low ceilings and narrow paths and different formations everywhere you look.
Our favorite part of this path was the mirror pool. The colored lights reflecting off the water made it seem like the rocks were some great storybook backdrop.
The path is a one way trail. There and back is just over one mile. It is relatively flat and easy to walk. The path can be tight in some places and the ceiling can be low. It can feel a little claustrophobic. Every turn though along the path brings you up close to some incredible works of geological wonder.
At the end of the path, you come to the waterfall and it is truly amazing to see. In a tall cavern the water sprouts from the rock, seemingly appearing out of no where. It cascades down to the waiting pool below.
At first the space is dark, and then the guide will turn on the changing colored lights. The exclamations of wonder and joy bounced off the walls around us.
When Leo and his group discovered the waterfall, he decided to name it Ruby Falls after his wife. The water from the falls will continue through the rock, eventually letting out in the Tennessee River. It was amazing to watch the lights on the rock walls change color. Each color brought a whole different feel to the waterfall.
With that, we made our way back down the path seeing the formations from a different angle. We passed by the tight stretch where Leo and his group crawled on their stomachs.
It is really amazing to see the expanse of the cave and the path they carved through it. It is hard to imagine the courage and strength it must have taken. They ventured down into the rocks without knowing what they would find.
They dug out the rocks to create that first elevator down into the cave. Then, they began to pile up the rocks. They intended to build something with them later. It seemed like the kind of material a castle would be made out of. And so they built a castle to mark the cave experience.
Visitors can climb to the top of the castle. There is a beautiful view of the river and the rest of Chattanooga.
It was so interesting to learn the history of this cave and to experience it in all its colorful forms. We were so glad to be able to mark it off of our Chattanooga list. Have you been to Chattanooga before? Let me know your favorite city spots.
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Thanks for coming along on this visit to Ruby Falls. May your light be strong and your path be sure as you seek adventures in the rocks.
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