Ruby Falls ◆ Tennessee
Ruby Falls, the underground waterfall.
145-foot waterfall, inside a cave, 1,120 feet beneath Lookout Mountain. The deepest publicly-accessible commercial cave waterfall in the United States.
Field guide ◆ Ruby Falls
Plan the trip.
Ruby Falls is unusual: a 145-foot waterfall inside a cave, 1,120 feet below the surface of Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's the deepest publicly-accessible commercial cave waterfall in the United States, and was discovered in 1928 by a man named Leo Lambert who'd been excavating a tour cave entrance.
This is a guided-tour-only destination. Tours run year-round, take 60-75 minutes, and include the elevator descent and walk through the limestone cave passages to the falls chamber. The cave temperature is a constant 60°F regardless of season. Pair with Lookout Mountain Incline Railway and Rock City for a full day.
Tickets sell out summer weekends — book ahead online. Combine with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (2 hours away) for a Tennessee long weekend.
On the map ◆
Where you're going.
Pack the kit ◆ For Ruby Falls
What to bring.
Trip-tested picks for this destination — gear that's earned its place across multiple visits.
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