Incline Railway: What It’s Like and Why Ride It
Are you looking for things to do in Chattanooga? Or perhaps a day trip from Atlanta or Nashville? Ride the Incline Railway up to the top of Lookout Mountain and enjoy gorgeous views of the Tennessee Valley.
Lookout Mountain straddles the Georgia-Tennessee border and rises up over Chattanooga. It is home to many attractions, both natural and man-made. For instance, you can read about Rock City and Cloudland Canyon in my recommended day trips from Atlanta.
But in this post we will focus on the Incline Railway, advertised as “America’s Most Amazing Mile”. You and your family can spend a lovely half day riding the train, admiring the gorgeous scenery, and even learning about Civil War history (if you walk to Point Park). And let’s not forget about the delicious fudge and homemade ice cream!
Read on for my review of the Incline Railway and my tips on how to spend your day on Lookout Mountain.
What is the Incline Railway?
The Incline Railway is one of the steepest passenger railways in the world. It is a funicular railway, which means that the cars are pulled up the slope by cables (funis means ‘rope’ in Latin). The first wooden cars made the journey up to the top of Lookout Mountain in 1895 and visitors have been enjoying the experience ever since.
In present day, the cars are no longer wooden, and they are also quite a bit safer. You board the train at St. Elmo Station at the foot of Lookout Mountain. The car itself is built at an angle, with the seats installed on multiple different levels. Be careful walking down the steps to take your seat!
Over the course of the 1-mile journey the track grows steeper and steeper until it reaches its maximum grade of 72.7% (!!!). Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley spread out below you. And you can get an excellent panoramic view of the scenery, since the newly redesigned train cars have extensive windows on the sides and on the roof. You will reach the top before you know it, and you’ll be sorry to climb off.
But the end of the ride isn’t the end of the adventure. After you disembark, make sure you explore the upper station and Lookout Mountain a bit.
What To Do At the Lookout Mountain Station
Don’t ride back down the mountain right away. Instead, take a few minutes (or hours) to explore the Incline Railway’s Lookout Mountain Station and the rest of the mountain. Here are a few ideas for how to spend your time.
Climb up the stairs to the two observation decks. The view from the roof of the station is amazing! You can see Chattanooga down below and the expanse of the Tennessee Valley. In my opinion, the ride on the Incline is worth it for this sight alone.
Taste the delicious fudge and buy a souvenir. The Top Station has various souvenirs and snacks for sale. My family and I bought some fudge from Fudge Kitchen and it was amazing.
Visit the engine room. Apparently the engine room is open to the public, although unfortunately I did not see it myself. Make sure you ask while you are there and see if it is open!
Walk a few blocks to Point Park and learn about Civil War history. Point Park offers more amazing views of the surrounding scenery and overlooks the Lookout Mountain Battlefield. I loved strolling around this park, and you can read my post all about Point Park!
Once you have explored Lookout Mountain to your heart’s content, ride the Incline back down. Don’t forget to try the homemade ice cream at Clumpies and grab a bite of food at one of the nearby restaurants. We ate pizza at Mr. T’s Pizza & Ice Cream and it was delicious!
Quick Facts & Tips
- Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Roundtrip Ticket Cost: $15 per adult, $7 per child (ages 3-12)
- Duration: 10-15 minutes each way
- Wheelchair accessible: yes
- Website: ridetheincline.com
There is a designated parking lot at the lower station (St. Elmo’s). The fee is $2 per vehicle. Tip: You will need to enter your license plate number into the parking ticket machine, so take a photo of your plate if you don’t have the number memorized!
Definitely book your tickets online in advance. On the day we visited, tickets were already sold out for the next four hours and we were very glad to have our online ticket vouchers. Bring your email confirmation and they will scan it and give you physical tickets. Each ticket is good for two rides – one up the mountain and one down – so don’t lose your ticket after the ride up!
Restrooms are available at both the lower and the upper station. Masks are currently required on board the Incline. An additional COVID-19 regulation requires visitors to begin their roundtrip journey at St. Elmo’s (the lower station); in the future it may be possible to start at the upper station again.
Is the Incline Railway worth it?
Is “America’s Most Amazing Mile” really that amazing? You have to pay $15 for a roundtrip ticket. Is the price tag worth it? What follows is my honest review of the Incline Railway.
Were the rides the most mind-blowing experiences ever? No. But you get a unique view of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley, not to mention that you can say you rode one of the steepest passenger railways in the world.
And you will be in good company, since US President Teddy Roosevelt and actress Elizabeth Taylor have also ridden the Incline!
That 72.7% incline is no joke! My favorite part of the ride was when we reached the steepest segment of the track (close to the top of Lookout Mountain). You feel gravity pulling you forward and you have to brace your feet to keep from slipping.
Plus, in addition to the ride itself, the entire atmosphere is fun and relaxing. And I know that this is now the third time I have mentioned the fudge, but really – it was fantastic.
If it was just the ride itself, I would probably say it isn’t worth it. But when you combine the railway with fudge, ice cream, and a walk to Point Park, it makes for a good day.
In short, my family and I had a good time. If you get bored easily, then maybe skip the Incline. But if you like visiting local attractions and having simple fun with family and friends, then check it out!
Enjoy Your Day in Chattanooga
The Incline Railway is a solid choice for a family outing. Both children and adults will have fun on this unique train ride. And if you pair it with an exploration of Point Park, like we did, you can spend several hours on Lookout Mountain.
Another possibility would be to drive to nearby Rock City and continue the adventure there. There is no shortage of things to do on Lookout Mountain and in Chattanooga in general. Whether you live in the area or are just passing through, don’t miss out!
Have you ever ridden the Incline?
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Looks a lot like the funiculars in Europe. Always fun to add new ideas to my bucket list.
You’re right about the funiculars in Europe! I remember I rode on a terrifying funicular up to the fortress in Salzburg.
Don’t waste your time. We just went there on July 4th, you can not see anything on the way up because of all the trees, no air condition, to come back down the mountain you have to wait forever as you don’t have a scheduled time and the people are very unorganized. Best way to view is to drive to Point Park it’s free to walk through or you can make a small donation. The views are spectacular and it’s only a 10 minute drive if that from Ruby Falls incline itself. Hope this helps.
Hi Cindy, I’m sorry you did not enjoy your experience on the Incline! We went on Memorial Day and it was pretty busy, but we still had fun. I completely agree with you about Point Park – the views are absolutely gorgeous. Usually you do have to pay an entry fee, but at the moment there’s an honor system (I think because of COVID).