What a cute park! Unfortunately the zip line is broken. The bathrooms are NOT recommended if you've…read morea child with sensory disorder. The toilets auto flush are extremely loud on top of the air hand dryer that's as loud. I'm an adult w/o problems and wanted to cover my ears. The park has beautiful sidewalks, walking path , kids play area, picnic shelters, benches, bench swings... all with snack cake themed. Super cute! There's a Little Debbie Shop but we didn't make it before they closed

I'm a kid at heart and I love oatmeal cream pies so when I found out about this park, I knew I had…read moreto visit. It's super cute, spacious, and one of my favorite things is that it's sensory inclusive. I enjoyed finding all of the "hidden" snacks in the park. It's kinda like a scavenger hunt for grown up snack junkies! If you're in the area, it's a must visit spot! Pro Tip: The Little Debbie store down the street from the park was closed due to the Labor Day holiday so keep that in mind when planning your visit.

The Hiwassee Dam is a little bit of a detour from Murphy, NC. But I highly recommend a stop. The…read moredam is hydroelectric and is remarkable to see just the size of it. You can drive over it too. I wasn't sure at the time if I could take a walk on it so I behaved myself this time. There appeared to be sidewalks on both sides in sections so I will do that next time. The dam is 307 feet high and holds 67 billion gallons of water. Hiwassee Lake is about 22 miles. The dam took 1600 men four years to build before being completed in 1940. At the time it cost $24 million to build. The dam generates enough electricity for 28,000 homes. The views are breathtaking here so if you are in the area this remarkable piece of work.

If you're in the Murphy area, or planning a trip out to the falls, and enjoy being outdoors, be…read moresure to take a quick detour and venture into easily accessible Hiwassee. Surrounded by the Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests - This cozy and colorful park has a lot to offer, including a rich habitat for deer, wild turkey and other animals. Have your camera ready to snap memorable moments, scenery and wildlife. Built in the 1940's, the Hiwassee Dam is largely known to locals as 1 of 32 dams built & planned to provide flood control, navigation and electricity for the region. Today, this piece of history is known as one of the top 5 things to do/points of interest for those visiting Murphy. Upstream from Apalachia Reservoir, the river stretches for 22 miles northwest to southeast. The Pros: - Great for picnics. - Free and easy to locate parking. - The area features a day-use park that provides access to boating, fishing and paths for exploring the Hiwassee Reservoir and its tributaries. - The area is isolated and not overloaded with people/tourists (even during season). On most occasions you will find yourself alone and have this stunning area all to yourself. It's well suited for canoeing & rafting. - The dam is close to Cherokee, the falls and many of Murphy's other "must-see" areas. Prior to your trip, consider these tips: - Check out & research the weather conditions prior to making your plans to venture out onto the roads, or into the water. The reservoir comes from deep below the surface and the water temperature is super chilly, even in the summer. - Keep an eye out for snakes! - If it's summer, be sure to pack bug spray and sun screen. Fun Facts: - The dam is known as a historical landmark used by the Navy Bureau of Ordnance for torpedo testing into the deep water, and the isolation provided by its mountainous environs. - The dam is currently operational and still providing electricity today.

Went here in the afternoon with my husband and kids (age 7&8). We did the guided tour and it was…read morewonderful! The inside museum is self guided. We took probably 20-30 minutes inside, then hopped on a golf cart for the guided part of the tour. It ended up taking about an hour to an hour and a half. Our guide was so knowledgeable and made learning fun (per my kids!). If you want to learn a little history in a relaxed and engaging environment, you should stop in here! Keep in mind that most of the tour/museum is outside, so if you don't want to get wet or be too cold or too hot, plan your visit with the weather in mind.

Our guide, Jody, made it great! Upon driving up to the museum, we didn't expect much and inside the…read moresmall museum wasn't much. But once we boarded the golf cart on the guided tour with Jody, that all changed. The weather was great, which always helps but the knowledge Jody shared at each stop took us back in history. As a teacher, I appreciated each detail and he (Jody) was always ready to answer questions. The property around the museum is where all of the history took place and Tunnel Hill takes great pride in their local treasure. I was surprised to learn all the seemingly small place had to offer. Kudos to all the people who work hard to keep this place alive. My kids and I had a great visit! I will note that it is more for middle school and up. And it's good for the kids to already have some knowledge about the Civil War. I only rate it one star less than perfect because the displays and mannequins need quite a bit of updating. You do have to have a good guide!

Here at Lula Lake Land Trust in Lookout Mountain, Georgia (20 miles southwest of Chattanooga,…read moreTennessee), this is a fun little journey, a 4-mile out and back or roundtrip hike getting to experience the prized highlight here...120-foot Lula Falls. The area around Lula Falls is private property. The Board of Trustees are sensitive about protecting the ecology of this land and so...visiting capacity is greatly reduced. In order to visit, you must book a reservation online ahead of time at lulalake.org. It's $16 entry per car, regardless of the number of passengers. Visitation dates are totally out of the norm, outside guests can enter the grounds on the first and last weekends of each month. That's 4 days per month and 48 days out of the entire year! Eye opening when you think about that statistic within the bigger picture of making plans to see Lula Falls. The pathway trail to reach Lula Falls is moderately easy. Follow the gravel dirt road for the first 1.5 out of 2 miles. Along the way, on the left hand side of the trail is a terrific overlook of Lula Falls. Although you can enter down to the falls taking Old Falls Trail, those stair steps are pretty steep. It was suggested to me to walk just a little further down to Lula Falls Trail and follow that pathway to Lula Falls. Upon arriving at the heart of it all, Lula Falls is mighty impressive, a magical wonder of a waterfall plunging 120 feet in a straight free-fall. While the sun was shining, I even caught a rainbow at the base of the falls which made the setting here somewhat of a pause in time moment. Backdrops like these don't come around often, I was relishing it all. Feeling thankful and blessed would describe things well. There's no swimming at the falls and I respect that, just enjoying the beauty of the falls was good enough for me. On the return trip back towards the entrance, you can follow the Bluff Trail above the forest tree-line to a panoramic clearing from high atop Lookout Mountain. It's a good chance to view the Chattanooga Valley from an undisturbed vantage point. You can finish out the hike taking the Bluff Trail almost all the way back to the start, or the Middle Trail is just as good too. But if you enjoy hiking in nature, either pathway will get the job done. Overall, getting to venture out to Lula Lake Land Trust and hike to Lula Falls was a joyous occasion for me, someone who loves the great outdoors and takes nothing for granted. Thank you for having me.

Beautiful hike at Lula Falls. It is about 4 miles round trip. We went in May when it wasn't hot but…read morewas still warm enough that my jacket didn't stay on long. The trails are well maintained and easy except for the last quarter mile to the lower falls. Worth the trek down to the lower falls area. A bit of a challenge for this 62 year old but slow and steady won the day. We enjoyed a nice lunch in the picnic area near the stairs to the lower falls.

This was something I very much wanted to see while in Chattanooga. I remember learning about the…read moreTrail of Tears in school in Virginia but, hadn't known a great deal about it. I read about it before visiting and was very impressed by this monument paying tribute to the Cherokee nation and the suffering of those forced from their ancestral lands by mass exodus and essentially a death march, hence the name. I was surprised to see that this is a monument that the city allows you to fully walk, play, and swim in and there were dozens of families with children playing and splashing in the water. It was something I'm not used to seeing and I thought it was wonderful that the city allows this. It was extremely hot the day I visited in July but also, this is interactive and encourages people to come and spent time here. It's a physical tribute to the countless tears shed no doubt during this event and a powerful tribute to a darker part of American history.

The Passage is a permanent exhibit near the aquarium, and pays tribute to the seven clans of the…read moreCherokee Nation through symbolism. The Trail of Tears, when Cherokee tribes were forced from their lands in Chattanooga to Oklahoma, started nearby. The Passage is a walkway, where people can see the Weeping Wall, representing the tears shed as Cherokees were forced from their homes and made to walk the Trail of Tears. 7 disks along the Weeping Wall tell the story of the Cherokee Nation. Facing the Tennessee River are 7 figures playing stickball. Playing the important game of stickball provided a way for members of the Cherokee Nation to settle disagreements, even to the point of players getting injured or killed. Just my opinion, but I think this a valuable exhibit that should be maintained a lot better and treated with respect. During my visit, to The Passage, there were a lot of people wading in the water, and wall that the stainless steel stickball players are on appeared water damaged.

Came to Brasstown Bald Observation Tower for the views and it was a sight to see! It's not everyday…read more(at least where I live) that you can stand in such a high place and be able to see mountains spanning across 4 different states. The entry fee was 8 per adult (kids are free) which also includes a van ride to the overlook. Or you can choose to hike which wasn't a long hike but steep from what I saw. A must do for anyone visiting the area! Ohh... and make sure you watch the little movie at the top, it's very cool to see how one place is its own little world in different seasons and the history behind the place.

The current Brasstown Bald observation tower was built in 1965, replacing an earlier stone tower…read morethat was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1935. The original 1935 stone tower was torn down in 1947 and replaced with a steel tower before the current structure was built - we'll folks looks like it's time to build another tower this one is in a state of disrepair. I came here to observe 4 states from the highest point in Georgia, but apparently the observation tower is in such bad shape that it is now closed to the public and your adventure will end after climbing a few flights of stairs ending at the base of the observation deck yeah there's a view from the lower level but in my opinion not worth the price of admission. Thankfully there's a shuttle van that takes you from the parking lot level to the top it runs about ever 10 minutes, our driver was very friendly and tried his best to entertain us during the short drive to the top but there's not much to say - the museum at the top is okay and takes about 2 minutes to tour it then time you walk the lower deck and wait for the shuttle back down - I purchased a refrigerator magnet for the RV from the gift shop and headed for the truck. I guess I am fortunate that I came and saw this, although it was never on my bucket list, I'm still trying to figure out why there's an old train engine in the museum it's quite the anachronism...

This place is so cool. So much history and so worth checking out…read more We drove through much of this but stopped by the tower. Of course I had to walk up it ....and back down. I had spaghetti legs after that, but it was so worth it. The view from the top is so beautiful.

Had an amazing visit here today. It is absolutely worth the visit. So much history…read more I can truly appreciate the self guided narration by utilizing the NPS app. It helps keep you on track as you navigate through the battlefield. Next visit I plan to do a little more walking around. This is a huge land mass and there are some areas you cannot get to via vehicle. It was nice to see lots of people on bike, flying kites and with the pets.

This was my first visit here. I started not to go but I am very glad I did. Today was a beautiful…read moreday to be out and doing an outdoor activity. This Fall Festival is well talked about in around Chattanooga and brings in people from miles around. Features: Well, one is that there is the Sequatchie River flowing right beside it. There's also a dam on it too built by early settlers. There's an old two story house on the property that I wish they would let people tour. There is a non- working water powered sawmill on the site with the equipment still there. Anyway you get all kinds of different food here like; fried pies, BBQ sandwiches, roasted sweet potato, roasted sweet corn, kettle corn, local honey, northern beans, turnip greens, chicken on a stick and etc. of course you can get sweet tea here too. They have some talented crafters. One makes things from leather like belts, gun holsters, bill folds, any etc. he was very reasonable too. They have entertainers that come here too where you can sit back in your lawn chair and relax to music. They had two places for entertainers. One at the main stage and the other at the Jammin Tent ( Food Barn). History: Ketners Mill was built in 1868 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The last year that the sawmill operated was in 1955. The last year that Ketners Mill was in full operation was in 1992. Wagon Rides: For only $3 you ride a horse drawn wagon thru the woods. See photos. I really regret not doing this. Extra thoughts: I think Ketners Mill is a place to come and relax and enjoy good food and entertainment. I wished I had brought my lawn chair and stayed longer in front of the stage where people were singing and playing their instruments. There are some shade trees to put them under close to the stage. Directions: I recommend using I 75 and taking exit 155. You can also get here by using exit 158 but 155 is what I will use next time. Once arriving at the site you can park in the open field they direct you to depending upon where you enter. I made a mistake and decided to go through the mountains on the way back and ended up in the Signal Mountain area. I thought I wanted to take more scenic view but it's just a bunch of woods and a winding curvy road that just slows you down big time. I should have gone back the way I came in.

I have visited Ketner's Mill a few times over many years. It is not far from Chattanooga and easy…read moreto find. We got there on a Sunday around 1 PM and left around 3 or so. It got very busy during our visit and the line to enter when we left was long. They have free parking and it cost 7 dollars a person to enter, which I felt was a little steep but we paid. It is a typical farm fair atmosphere with numerous vendors, food, craft and drink (no alcohol). They had everything from carmel corn to chicken on a stick. Lots of homemade jams, honey, bread and other food stuff. We walked around the area and looked at various crafts, which there is a huge selection. They have an animal petting area and also canoes you can rent. They had a rustic stage where musicians played various blue grass and country music. It is a great place to take the family for a nice afternoon get away. I give it a 4 even though I am kind of cheap and personally will not go again for $7. There are too many free or more reasonable festivals all summer.

We were here for an entire week in Chattanooga and able to travel up the mountain 4 of those days!…read moreWhat amazing views of surrounding area! And the people I'll never get over how wonderful they were all were to us! We went to Ruby Falls rock city Park point and stopped at several of the small shops on the way up. We could not do the incline due to my grandson's fear Heights, but we did watch it several times from different advantage points every penny we spent was worth it and 1 million more. The memories made this week will last a lifetime for me and I'm so thankful we were able to take our grandsons and experience this beautiful amazing place with them.

If you're in the neighborhood take the drive to the top. On a clear day the view is incredible.read more

I parked here for the start of the Edward's Point trail via Crescent Ridge and found the parking…read morelot pretty empty on a Monday morning around 9:30am. There are maybe 20 spots and the Signal Point overlook is right beside the restrooms and a short paved trail from parking. Worth a stop.

This was a great, easy trail--about 1.6 miles round trip and took us around 65 minutes, including…read moretime spent at the waterfall. The waterfall at the end is beautiful and made a perfect spot to rest. We let Luna take a quick swim to cool off, but were very cautious about her not drinking the water. I had done quite a bit of research beforehand and found mixed reviews about the water quality. Most concerns centered around contamination within 24-48 hours after rainfall. Since it hadn't rained recently, we felt confident it was safe, and thankfully, Luna had no issues after swimming.