Ever since we moved to Crossville, we’ve been seeing billboards for Ruby Falls. At first, we didn’t know what it was. You see, there are a lot of waterfalls here in Tennessee and I guess we just thought it was another waterfall to add to the list. And then one day I decided to look it up.
Ruby Falls is not only an underground waterfall, it is the tallest underground waterfall open to the public in the country! My interest was piqued.
It took us three years to finally set aside a day to take the 90 minute drive down to Chattanooga for the express purpose of visiting Ruby Falls. It’s a beautiful drive through the mountains with pretty vistas around every bend. Ruby Falls is located inside of Lookout Mountain, so you can imagine there are some amazing views from there!
There is a stone castle built on the property that is used as a restaurant and gift shop. All of the stone that was excavated to form the passageway to the falls was used to build the castle. What castle would be complete without a tower? Included in the price of the tour, you can climb up to the top of the tower for a pretty amazing view over Chattanooga and the surrounding area.
The tours go off every 10 minutes and the groups are fairly large. An elevator takes you 260 feet down to the corridor for the tour. The passageways are not wide and everyone walks single file. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history of the cave, kept the group together and moving and was also entertaining.
We saw stalactites and stalagmites and other mineral formations as we walked along the passageway. The passageway was lit along the corridor and the attractions were each lit as well. While I’ve been in caves before where there are formations, I’ve never been so close that I had to be careful to not brush against them as I walked past. We were up close and personal with some awesome formations.
When we reached the cavern where the waterfall was, everyone was in awe. Seeing that water emerge through a hole at the very top of the cavern and cascade down into a shallow pool at our feet was breathtaking. There is a lightshow that changes from white light to blue to pinks and reds and cycles through multiple times. Everyone was polite about getting a front row view, taking a few photos and then moving out of the way for the others to get their chance to see it.
The tour is a one mile round trip walk with some steps, uneven areas, low overhead in places and a few spots where the stone underfoot can be slippery due to it being wet. It is not a strenuous walk, but could be challenging for some people with mobility limitations. It is cool underground, but certainly not cold.
I took my trusty camera with me and have some photos and even a video to share. If you ever get the chance to visit Ruby Falls, I highly recommend it.
