Rock City with Kids - The Perfect Road Trip Stop — A Mom Explores | Family Travel Tips, Destination Guides with Kids, Family Vacation Ideas, and more!

If you’re planning a trip to Georgia or Tennessee, or you happen to be driving through the area on your way to another destination, you must make a stop at Rock City Gardens. This tourist attraction sits atop Lookout Mountain, which is technically in Georgia, but only 6 miles from downtown Chattanooga, TN. It’s a great kid-friendly stop where you can stretch your legs and take in some amazing views.

This summer, our family made a cross-country road trip from Florida to Wisconsin. Actually, we were moving from Florida to Wisconsin but decided to stop about halfway in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

I knew I wanted to do something fun with the kids to break up the road trip and get some energy out, so I scheduled a visit to Rock City.

I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect, especially since we were visiting with a baby and 3 other kids ages 3, 4, and 7.

We were not disappointed! The hike was easy enough to do with young children, and the views were nothing short of spectacular.

I’ll share some tips for visiting Rock City with kids so you’ll have a better idea of what to expect, what to bring, and how long it will take.

Disclosure: a few of our tickets to Rock City were complimentary in exchange for a review, but we had a larger group so we paid for the rest of our tickets ourselves. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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PLANNING YOUR VISIT TO ROCK CITY

GETTING TO ROCK CITY

Rock City is located on Lookout Mountain in Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

It is just a 6-mile drive from downtown Chattanooga, TN, which is a great spot to stay overnight.

Atlanta, Birmingham, and Nashville are a few other nearby cities that would make perfect road trip stops!

Once you get close to Rock City you’ll see plenty of signs to help guide you. You’ll take a winding mountain road up to the entrance. I drove our minivan and felt perfectly safe.

Parking at Rock City is FREE, and there is plenty of space to park. There’s also a Starbucks across the street in case you arrive early and need a caffeine fix before getting started.

BUYING TICKETS FOR ROCK CITY

You do need to purchase tickets to enjoy Rock City’s enchanted trail and stunning views.

Adults: $21.95 (premium tickets during peak season are $24.95)
Children (ages 3 to 12): $12.95 ($13.95 during peak season)
Children ages 0-2: FREE

There are also options to buy combo tickets with Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway, and there are annual pass options for those who live nearby or those who travel frequently through that area.

Rock City is open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (but check the website for hours as those are subject to change depending on the time of year).

WHAT TO BRING TO ROCK CITY

Your visit will take you between 1 1/2 and 3 hours, so plan accordingly!

If you have young children as we do, you might be wondering if Rock City is stroller-friendly. Because there are some narrow paths and stairs, strollers are NOT permitted on the trails. I used the Lillebaby carrier for our baby, and it works all the way through the toddler years, too!

DO bring:

Comfortable walking shoes. I wore open-toe Tevas and was just fine. My kids wore these lightweight sneakers.
Comfortable clothes for walking and hiking.
- For bottoms, I personally love Old Navy running shorts or this Athleta skort if you want to look cute in pictures.
- For tops, go with a breezy workout tank or cotton t-shirt during the hot summer months.
A lightweight camera. My daughter carried our GoPro while I used my new Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II. It’s a point-and-shoot that’s perfect for sharp images and smooth video. I would highly recommend this camera if you want great shots but don’t want to lug your heavy DSLR camera while hiking.
Snacks. I threw a few granola bars and apple slices in our backpack. There are also restaurants and vending machines at the entrance and the plaza at Lover’s Leap if you don’t feel like carrying anything with you.
Water. Especially if you’re visiting in summer! These are my favorite water bottles for kids to keep the water nice and cold! I usually carry this one with me.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN VISITING ROCK CITY WITH KIDS

When you enter the Rock City Gardens you’ll walk through the gift shop to enter the Enchanted Trail. There are plenty of wonders and sweeping views along the 4100-foot trail. Here are a few to look for, and what to expect with kids!

GRAND CORRIDOR AND NEEDLE’S EYE

The paved path will first guide you through Grand Corridor - a walk through rock formations and native flora and fauna. Kids will love looking for the gnomes strategically places around the gardens!

Be prepared for the first narrow passageway through rock walls called Needle’s Eye. It’s really not too scary, and though my kids were a little nervous at first, they quickly realized how much fun it was!

The path is well marked and easy to follow, but if you do happen to lose your way, there are plenty of friendly employees who can get you where you want to go.

LOVERS LEAP & SEE 7 STATES

One of the highlights of the Enchanted Trail is Lovers Leap, a lookout point at the top of the trail. There you’ll find coin-operated viewfinders and the See Seven States sign. On a clear day, you should be able to see 7 states from the lookout point. Each of the 7 States’ flags is flying proudly atop Lovers Leap!

There is a spacious plaza, a restaurant, restrooms, and tables and chairs in the shade, so plan on stopping here for a snack and water break.

If you have young children, this is a much-needed area to give kids a little space to move around, too. Many of the trails are narrow, and you’ll be keeping your little ones close to you by lookout points and bridges, so it helps to have somewhere to spread out.

This is also a perfect spot for photos. Get panoramic shots of the view, pose in front of the See Seven States sign, or ask an employee to get a group picture of your family with the lovely vista in the background.

FAT MAN SQUEEZE

Another highlight of the trail is the descent through Fat Man Squeeze. A staircase will lead you through another narrow passageway between two rocks. At the bottom, you’ll find an observation point where you can see both Lover’s Leap and the waterfall.

Our kids did wonderfully! There were workers at the top and bottom to help guide you if need be, and we really pumped up the kids to be brave and have fun. My 3-year-old ended up called it Batman Squeeze, which kept us all entertained.

RAINBOW HALL

After the observation point, you’ll get to walk through Rainbow Hall, a path through a cave with tinted windows so that the light coming through the windows makes a rainbow! This is a perfect spot in Rock City for kids.

Unfortunately, the baby was getting hungry at that point, and I was too busy bouncing her in the baby carrier to get a good picture.

SWING-A-LONG BRIDGE

The Swing-A-Long Bridge is a swaying suspension bridge over the Chattanooga Vally with sweeping views. It does have guard rails, but I was nervous to cross it with 4 little kids and only 2 adults. It can be done, but I would recommend a baby carrier or a backpack with a “leash” on it if you have a toddler that likes to run away.

There is an alternative path over a stone bridge if you don’t feel comfortable crossing the Swing-A-Long Bridge.

We didn’t end up doing it this time, but the views looked spectacular! I hope to did it again another time when my kids are older.

FAIRYLAND CAVERNS & MOTHER GOOSE VILLAGE

At the very end of the path, you’ll come across Fairland Caverns and Mother Goose Village. You can walk through the cavern to see handmade scenes from every fairytale you can imagine. At the very end, you’ll reach Mother Goose Village, a large room where you can walk around and admire the sculptures from your favorite nursery rhymes.

This section is all underground and fairly dark, but that didn’t bother my kids because it’s lit with a black light! They loved seeing their white clothes glow in the dark. Keep that in mind when you’re planning your kids’ outfits for the day. Honestly, the dark caverns were a nice break from the heat of the day.

ROCK CITY IS A BLAST WITH KIDS!

You won’t regret adding a stop at Rock City to your road trip adventure. With stunning views, well-paved walking paths, and so many small details for kids to find, it makes the perfect family-friendly destination!

We loved our time there, and it’s an experience we won’t soon forget.

P.S. If you’re road-tripping, don’t forget to check out my road trip activity books! There’s one for toddlers/preschoolers and a new one for kids ages 4-8.