Chattanooga Travel Guide by newsdesk

Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in (after Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville), and the seat of Hamilton County, in the of America. It is located in southeast Tennessee on Chickamauga and , which are both part of the , near the border of Georgia, and at the junction of three interstate highways, I-24, I-75, and I-59. The city, at elevation 685 feet, lies at the transition between the ridge-and-valley portion of the and the Cumberland Plateau, is surrounded by ridges. Located on the Tennessee River and situated in Hamilton County, Chattanooga is a true tourist treat. It is an ideal place to enjoy boating, fishing and other water sport activities. The name "Chattanooga" comes from the Creek Indian word for "rock coming to a point." This refers to which begins in Chattanooga and stretches 88 miles through Alabama and Georgia. Chattanooga has traditionally touted its tourist attractions, including the (a freshwater and, as of May 2005, a saltwater aquarium), caverns, and heavy development along and across the Tennessee River. In the downtown area are the Creative Discovery Museum (a hands-on children's museum dedicated to science, art, and music), an IMAX 3D Theatre, and the newly expanded Hunter Museum of American Art. The red-and-black painted "See " barns along highways in the Southeast are remnants of a now classic Americana tourism campaign to attract visitors to the Rock City tourist attraction in nearby Lookout Mountain, Georgia. The mountain is also home to , Craven's House and the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, a steep funicular railway which rises from historic St. Elmo to the top of the mountain to drop passengers off at the 's Point Park and The Battles for Chattanooga Museum (formerly known as Confederama), a quirky diorama that details, of course, the Battle of Chattanooga. From the military park, visitors can enjoy the panoramic views of and the Chattanooga skyline from the mountain's famous "point" or from vantage points along the well-designated trail system. Just outside Chattanooga, the Raccoon Mountain Resevoir, and Reflection Riding Arboretum and Botanical Garden boast a number of outdoor and family fun opportunities, while the Ocoee River, host to a number of events from the 1996 Olympics, features rafting, kayaking, camping and hiking. Back in Chattanooga, smaller tourist attractions include amusement park, Chattanooga at Warner Park, Bonny Oaks Arboretum, Arboretum at Audubon Acres and .

Chattanooga Travel Guide by newsdesk