Lookout Mountain

Lookout Mountain, actually a plateau, is located at the northwest corner of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southern border of Tennessee near Chattanooga. It is one of the southernmost ridge mountains of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians. The summit, called "High Point," is at 2,392 feet (729 m) AMSL. The foothills of the mountain extend into Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Near Chattanooga, the caves of Ruby Falls are contained within Lookout Mountain, and the rock formations of the Rock City tourist attraction are situated on the ridge, as well as the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway. From Rock City, it is said that seven U.S. states can be seen: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. In reality, on very clear days, some mountains in the Knoxville area of Tennessee can be seen at a distance of about 100 miles, but the curvature of the earth's surface lowers anything in Kentucky, South Carolina or Virginia to below the horizon. Nearby are Georgia's Cloudland Canyon and Cloudland Canyon State Park. The mountain, which hosts the nation's largest hang gliding school and Covenant College, is one of the Chattanooga area's most visited tourist attractions.

In recent years, real estate developers have begun realizing the mountain property's value for upscale second home communities, catering to residents of nearby Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Birmingham and Huntsville. However, such development is limited by the extensive conservation easements put into place by organizations such as the Lula Lake Land Trust.

Lookout Mountain was the scene of the First Battle of Chattanooga during the American Civil War.

History

Pre-Civil War

Before the war, land taken from the Indians was sold to the highest bidder, without a lottery of land parcels, as in Georgia. Because of this method of distributing land, much of Lookout Mountain, TN was owned by a few wealthy Chattanooga families prior to the war. The aptly named Summertown, on top of the mountain, was barely accessible from a small rutted turnpike built in 1852 by Col. James A. Whiteside. Whiteside, a native of Danville, Kentucky, owned a summer home which he converted into a hotel with several cottages. Naturalists, such as Bradford Torrey, who visited the summit thought the cottages spoiled the environment and made it look like a cheap resort. Whiteside had purchased much of the land on the mountain’s summit, and another wealthy Chattanoogan, Robert Cravens, had purchased most of the land on the side of the mountain. Cravens was also instrumental in developing Lookout and moved his family to the house he built 1855. Within a few years of the Cravens completing construction, about 25 families lived on the mountain in the summer. The name is said to come from General Andrew Jackson's forces, but more likely comes from the Cherokee term for "two mountains looking at each other" [cite book|title=Weird, Wacky, and Wild Georgia Trivia|last=Watson|first=Stephanie|coauthors=Lisa Wojna|year=2008|publisher=Blue Bike Books|isbn=978-1-897278-44-4|pages=61] .During the Revolutionary War, a battle took place on Lookout Mountain between the forces of John Sevier and those of Chief Dragging Canoe of the Chickamauga tribe.

Civil War

On November 23, 1863 the was fought on the slopes of Lookout Mountain. The majority of hand to hand combat took place near Cravens' house about halfway to the summit. Lookout Mountain’s unique shape and location can in some conditions cause a unique weather phenomenon. After dawn, fog will descend from the cooler mountain top to the valley below and stop about halfway down. This interesting natural occurrence took place the day of the battle and is the reason for its romantic name.

Post-War

Lookout was considered a peaceful getaway from the rigors of city life and also a health benefit. When one was feeling ill, a few days in one of the mountain resorts was thought to be a good cure. Another generation of businessmen began marketing their own attractions in the 1910s and 1920s. Lookout Mountain was an incorporated town and instead of serving as an escape for the wealthy, the rich businessmen were settled more permanently on the mountain. Garnet Carter, J. B. Pound, O. B. Andrews, and Leo Lambert were a few of the more successful entrepreneurs who created their own attractions. Instead of making their money off of tourist room, board, and transportation, the natural attractions were enhanced and fiercely marketed. Sites that had long been popular, such as the city of rocks (or Rock City), the Lookout Mountain Cave (now Ruby Falls), and the functional railroads (now the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway–America’s Most Amazing Mile) were bought, “highly developed”, and marketed . The angle of tourism had significantly shifted from the pre-war cottages of Col. Whiteside.

Alabama

Little River

Nearly 75% of Lookout Mountain is situated within Alabama. Little River Canyon is located on the mountain and is home to the Little River, the longest flowing mountaintop river and the only river that begins and ends entirely on top of a mountain. The river is home to some of the country's best whitewater and DeSoto State Park, which is home to DeSoto Falls

Cherokee Rock Village

Cherokee Rock Village, is a rock-climbing mecca in western Cherokee County. It boasts many challenging climbs for beginner to expert climbers, and fantastic views of the Coosa River Basin.

Noccalula Falls

Noccalula Falls is a 90 foot waterfall in Gadsden, Alabama. The falls is a part of the city park known as Noccalula Falls Park. The park also features a pioneer village, showcasing several 19th century homes. The Falls is located at the southern terminus of Lookout Mountain

References

External links

* [http://lookoutmtnga.com City of Lookout Mountain, Georgia]
* [http://www.lulalake.org Lula Lake Land Trust]