Whether you enjoy hiking or see it as a necessary evil for viewing the scenic fall foliage when it’s autumn in Chattanooga, there are trails of varying difficulty and beauty for you to explore. Or, if you’re looking to have a green thumb this autumn harvest, you can take part in urban farming within the city limits — where you will be encouraged to carve peppers instead of pumpkins. If neither hiking nor farming is up your alley, you can’t go wrong with some wildlife watching, from monarch butterflies to salamanders. Perhaps an outdoor festival is where you’d prefer to spend your time, and luckily, the Chattanooga area offers a variety of seasonal celebrations to enjoy.
1. Fall By the Wayside:
Autumn in nature
Hikers, bikers and climbers alike are faced with a good problem to have once fall rolls around in the Chattanooga area. There’s such an abundance of trails and boulders that it’s often difficult to pick just one. We spoke with Shelby Cundiff of Outdoor Chattanooga to narrow down a couple of can’t-miss spots for fall.
Hikes in the Chattanooga Area
Rainbow Lake: Situated on Signal Mountain, Rainbow Lake Trail is a great option for a family hike. You’ll come across a 100-foot suspension bridge, the Rainbow Lake Dam and a picturesque waterfall, all while getting your fill of fall foliage. “The trail system behind Rainbow Lake has miles and miles and miles of options of loops you can do that all intersect. You can make a 13-mile run behind the mountains and then jump into the lake when you’re done,” Cundiff says, speaking from experience.
Sunset Rock: If you’re in the market for fall views, Sunset Rock is your spot. The trek from the historic Cravens House on Lookout Mountain allows hikers the opportunity for a quick history lesson before embarking on a 1.5-mile hike to Sunset Rock. Once there, soak it in. Even in this area rich with fall views, few spots are quite as majestic as Sunset Rock. Another option highlighted by Cundiff is Snooper’s Rock on Signal Mountain, which offers views of the Tennessee River Gorge.
Climbing and Bouldering
Stone Fort: Whereas a humid summer makes it challenging for climbers to grip wet rocks and boulders, fall brings with it more suitable conditions for rock climbing. Cundiff, an avid climber herself, recommends Stone Fort as one of her personal favorites. Located in Soddy-Daisy, it’s a popular bouldering destination for good reason. Stone Fort is shady and tucked away, with a ton of climbing options to choose from. “It’s a really fun place to bring out your friends and bring some beers,” Cundiff says. She also mentions Leda, a sandstone cliff also in Soddy-Daisy, as a good spot for beginners that offers gorgeous fall views down into the valley.
Boulders on Old Wauhatchie Pike: Boasting 27 boulders open to climbers, the Boulders on Old Wauhatchie Pike climbing area is ideal for beginners, thanks in part to the efforts of interns with the Lookout Mountain Conservancy who have worked to flatten the area around the boulders. Previously rife with invasive plants, there are now steps at the base of the boulders and more durable surfaces in case a climber falls, according to Cundiff.
2. Riding for a Fall:
Scenic autumn drives
While hikers may enjoy trekking uphill to take in the season’s scenic foliage, for those who would rather enjoy the view from behind the wheel, there are plenty of leaf-peeping driving routes available in the area.
Raccoon Mountain
Take a short drive up Raccoon Mountain Road to the East Overlook, where you’ll be able to see miles of vibrant foliage across the Tennessee Valley in a matter of minutes. Drivers can also access another scenic view from The Raccoon Mountain Visitor Center, where they look can down at the Tennessee River Gorge.
Prentice Cooper State Forest Park
Those passing through Prentice Cooper can take in miles of scenic leaf-peeping as they drive down Suck Creek Road.
(READ MORE: Tennessee’s fall leaves peak in October. Here are five drives full of fall color)
Signal Point
While the Cumberland Trail atop Signal Mountain’s Signal Point offers breathtaking bluff views, those wanting to skip the hike can take a short walk from the parking lot to enjoy the views of the Tennessee River and surrounding foliage.
Missionary Ridge
Drivers can travel south on North Crest Road to see Civil War-era historical markers and scenic views of downtown Chattanooga and the surrounding fall mountain views.
(READ MORE: Try one of these scenic drives heading northwest from Chattanooga)
3. Fall at Your Feet:
The wildlife underfoot and in the air
It’s easy to be distracted by the oranges and the yellows of the shaken leaves during the fall, but an overturned leaf or a glance under a log may remind you that you’re sharing this space with a diverse group of critters that also call Chattanooga home, at least for a season.
Corey Hagen, director of operations at Reflection Riding and wildlife expert, takes a particular liking to the migratory animals that swing by the Chattanooga area in the fall. Take the monarch butterflies, for example. They’re just passing through in early October, en route to Mexico from Ohio. That’s over 3,000 miles for an insect that has a 4-inch wingspan!
Hagen also highlights the sandhill crane, which can be seen in the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in late October. “It’s a great opportunity for people to go out and see these amazing birds in a natural setting,” he says. “You get this explosion of diversity in the fall and the spring that you don’t have in the summer and the winter.”
Fall is a time for some of the “unsung heroes” of the forest to make an appearance, like salamanders, which can be observed up close and personal at Reflection Riding. When rain starts coming down and the leaves hit the ground, marbled salamanders are prevalent in the area. “You can blow a pile of leaves off the driveway, and there’s a marbled salamander underneath,” Hagen says.
(READ MORE: The 10 best overlooks in the Chattanooga area to see fall colors)
Keeping an Eye Out
Salamanders and butterflies won’t strike fear into the hearts of anyone, but there are a few animals that do give humans pause. With creatures like snakes and yellow jackets around in the fall, it’s a good time to clear up some common misconceptions and offer tips on how to behave around them.
“Snakes are one of our best friends; we just don’t always know it,” Hagen says, referencing the vital role snakes play in mitigating the spread of disease carried by rats and mice.
(READ MORE: What to know about snakes in the Chattanooga area and how to avoid their bites)
The timber rattlesnake and the copperhead are the only venomous snakes in the area, and they just so happen to blend into fall foliage really well. Because of this, it’s important to watch where you’re walking, especially around logs, where snakes like to hang out. Hagen advises that instead of stepping over and clearing a log, step on top of it first before proceeding. If you stumble upon a snake, give it a wide berth.
Yellow jackets tend to be an issue in the fall. If you see a couple of them, there’s likely a nest nearby, and the easiest way to avoid conflict is simply to move away from them — a solution that applies to much of the wildlife in the area.
Much less prevalent but worth noting are black bears, which enter hyperphagia during the fall and are occasionally sighted in the Chattanooga area. Mime Barnes of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency defines hyperphagia as a bear’s “last push to put on weight in a plentiful time before they enter leaner times in late fall and winter.”
Therefore, bears tend to have more of a one-track mind in the fall, looking for easy calories — and the calories don’t come much easier than through leftover food in trash cans. “Would you rather walk to the fridge and pull out a leftover piece of pizza or walk for miles slipping over rocks to eat tiny insects?” Barnes says. “They’re going to go for what is the easiest route to gain as many calories as possible, and unfortunately, that’s human trash.”
The solution? Be noisy — something we’re already good at.
4. Fall Farming
Cultivating Community
Crabtree Farms is a nonprofit farm and community space located on E. 30th Street. The urban farm is adorned with vibrant perennials, community garden beds and a lone grazing goat.
Tall trees with green, round spikes produce chestnuts for the fall season, one of Tegan Alspaugh’s “favorite nostalgic fall items.” Alspaugh is the farm educator and production coordinator at the farm.
For Chattanoogans looking to participate in farming, Crabtree Farms offers a workshare program that allows participants to commit to a three-month season and work on the farm once a week, getting produce in exchange for labor, according to Alspaugh. The fall workshare program starts in September.
Fall crops include peppers, okra, kale and winter squash. Crabtree Farms does not grow pumpkins due to how much space the crops need to grow and how long they take to mature, says Lauren Russek, farm facilities and land stewardship coordinator.
“Everyone gets really excited about carving a pumpkin,” Russek says, “but if you want to mix it up this year, come and pick up a couple of peppers and carve them.”
Russek and Alspaugh demonstrated with pocket knives, carving jack-o-lantern faces into green peppers picked from the ground.
Crabtree Farms also has a fall plant sale, which Russek says is a “big plant party,” typically at the end of September.
Every fall and spring, the farm offers a plant sale on the property with plants to purchase, vendors, music and activities for the community to enjoy.
For communities in the zip codes nearest to the farm, such as Alton Park, Eastlake and Clifton Hills, more than 30 community garden beds are reserved and available for free for those wanting to partake. There are a few remaining beds available to those outside of the nearest neighborhoods who can participate in the garden program.
“As an organization, we try to find and create as many diverse opportunities for people to engage in local agriculture,” Russek says.
Crabtree Farms also offers workshops out of the Evelyn Center, a building on the property where programming ranges from seed saving to beekeeping to planting a fall garden and more.
Seasonal produce is available on the property’s farm stand on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from April until Thanksgiving.
Crabtree Farms can also be found at the Main Street Farmers Market year-round, and their produce is used at local restaurants, including Calliope and Common House.
For those without a green thumb who would still like to be near the plants, Russek says anyone can come and picnic or walk around the property, even if there is not an event or open farm stand.
“It makes us happy when people are out here,” Russek says. “You’re always welcome to come and enjoy the space.”
For more information, visit crabtreefarms.org.
5. Fall Forecast –
While the forecast is subject to change, local meteorologist Brandon Wasilewski with the National Weather Service says the climate prediction center outlook shows above-normal temperatures heading into the fall season, but equal chances for above or below-normal precipitation.
Wasilewski urges Chattanoogans to be mindful of burn bans when the leaves fall off the trees, as the dead leaves provide fuel for fire-weather season.
He also says to be aware of the large range of temperatures in the fall.
“Just looking at October, Chattanooga has gotten as high as 100 degrees in October in 2019, but they’ve also gotten as cold as 22 degrees in October back in 1952,” Wasilewski says.
To keep up with Chattanooga’s ever-changing fall forecast, visit weather.gov.
6. Fall Festivals –
There is no shortage of fall-themed festivals in and around Chattanooga. And nothing says festing like visitors shopping local vendors, exploring food trucks, jamming to live music and sending their kids off to the bouncy castles.
The Fall Market at Cambridge: Fall market with vendors and inflatables. September 7, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Cambridge Square, 9440 Bradmore Ln., Ooltewah
Autumn Harvest Festival: Fall harvest pie and coffee festival, pie-eating contest, inflatables, petting zoo, live music, local vendors and food trucks. September 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold
Soddy-Daisy Fall Festival: Food trucks, games, vendors, live music, community performances, activities. September 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Soddy Lake Park, 197 Durham St, Soddy-Daisy
3 Sisters Festival of Bluegrass: Bluegrass festival with multiple artists performing. October 4-5, Ross’s Landing, Chattanooga
Chattanooga Oktoberfest: Live oompah music, cultural food offerings, beer, food and craft vendors. October 12-13: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. First Horizon Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd., Chattanooga
Hocus Pocus Fall Market: Indoor market with vendors, food, inflatables, trick-or-treating and photos with the Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus.” October 12-13: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 323 Camp Jordan Parkway, East Ridge. Admission is $5; free admission for kids 12 and under.
Georgia Apple Festival: Vendors selling handmade items, on-site demonstrations, live music, food and all things apple. October 12-13, 19-20, Ellijay Lions Club Fairgrounds, 1729 South Main Street, Ellijay, Georgia
Chattanooga Apple Festival: Vendors, food trucks, inflatables, petting zoo, pony rides, trackless train rides and other activities. October 19-20: Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Sunday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., 323 Camp Jordan Parkway, East Ridge
Between the Bridges: Local arts festival featuring 50 local artists selling their work. October 19-20, Coolidge Park, 150 River St., Chattanooga
Hamilton County Fair: Food, amusement rides, live music, fireworks, lumberjack shows, rodeo and more. November 8-10, McDonald Farm, 16705 Coulterville Road, Sale Creek.