Local attractions draw bigger crowds as Labor Day closes out summer with high gas prices and temperatures

Nearly 60 years after first visiting Ruby Falls as a small child, Paul Pickens returned this week to the underground waterfall beneath Lookout Mountain and brought his family from Michigan City, Indiana.

“This is a beautiful area, and the mountains are a lot different from where we live in Indiana,” Pickens said after visiting Rock City on Tuesday and Ruby Falls on Wednesday during a weeklong trip through Tennessee. “I wanted my family to see what I saw as a kid here.”

Gas prices are at the highest levels ever for a Labor Day weekend. But Pickens and millions of other motorists are hitting the road to take advantage of the three-day holiday weekend that marks the end of summer for many people.

“Gas prices are higher, but I only get one vacation a year,” Pickens said, “so I determined we were going to go no matter what.”

Paul’s wife, Melinda, said the underground Ruby Falls “was truly amazing” and offered a welcome respite amid the 100-degree temperatures reached this week.

Americans across the country are closing out summer with Labor Day trips despite higher travel costs and lingering hot temperatures.

The nationwide average gas prices on the last summer holiday weekend of 2026 will be $4.03 per gallon, or 87 cents higher than in 2025, the fuel pricing platform GasBuddy predicted.

That marks the highest average Labor Day price at the pump on record in nominal terms, surpassing the previous record of $3.83 per gallon in 2012.

Diesel prices also rose Friday to an all-time high, the AAA motor club reported, rising to $5.85 per gallon, up more than 55% since before the war with Iran began in February.

“It’s been a challenging year for motorists, with constant ups and downs at the pump that stayed elevated into this final summer holiday, though relief may lie ahead if tensions ease,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Last year saw the cheapest Labor Day since 2020, but the pendulum has swung wildly this summer.”

(READ MORE: Things to do this Labor Day weekend)

GasBuddy surveys indicate Chattanooga gas stations, on average, are charging about 22 cents a gallon less than the U.S. average. But Chattanooga gas prices are still up about 70 cents a gallon from a year ago.

For those traveling over the weekend, INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, predicted traffic would be the worst after work Friday and again Monday afternoon. INRIX recommends departing early, allowing additional time and avoiding the middle of the afternoon whenever possible.

CHATTANOOGA’S APPEAL

With its central location within a day’s drive of most of the U.S. population, Chattanooga appears to be faring better than many cities in drawing visitors.

Hugh Morrow, president of Ruby Falls and a director of the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association, said visitation is up again this year despite higher gas prices.

“It’s been very positive from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and ticket sales for this weekend are very good,” Morrow said in a phone interview Thursday. “Our main driving markets like Atlanta, Birmingham and Nashville have remained very strong, and our July business was very strong coming off the backs of the World Cup finals. People seemed to be getting out this year to enjoy our country and celebrate our 250th anniversary.”

Visits to the Tennessee Aquarium this year are up 6% over last year and up 9% compared to the average of the past three years, said Alison Pryor, media coordinator for the aquarium.

“Despite the fluctuations in gas prices, people are still choosing Chattanooga,” Pryor said in an email. “The recent baby boom with seven new turtle hatchlings in the Turtle Nursery, two new penguin chicks and a baby lemur has added to the fun at the aquarium this summer and built excitement for our guests. Our guests have been enjoying the new Scuttlebutt Reef gallery, sneaking a peek of Soleil — our first baby lemur, meeting ambassador animals at Curiosity Carts, and splashing in the fountains on the Plaza.”

(READ MORE: Chattanooga adding 1,200 hotel rooms)

Last year, Hamilton County ranked fifth among Tennessee’s 95 counties for tourism spending with visitors spending nearly $1.9 billion in 2025, according to a new study released bv the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg, Tennessee, remains the most visited national park in the country. During last fall’s federal government shutdown, a coalition of state, local, nonprofit and tribal partners helped keep the Smokies open for 40 days. More than 2.4 million people visited during that time frame, despite most national parks across the country being closed.

The Smokies also draws visitors to other attractions across Tennessee.

“We came to hike in the Smokies, but we wanted to visit Lookout Mountain during our trip,” Logan Benedict, a college student from Muncie, Indiana, said while visiting Chattanooga earlier this week.

Contact correspondent Dave Flessner at flessner@timesfreepress.com.