Canines Travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Luie Boone
- 2 hours ago
- 9 min read
This travel spot is featured in our fifth blog series, Bowwows Belong.
Chattanooga has a way of surprising you in the best way. Luie Boone would like it to be officially noted that this city has range. History, scenery, patios, trails... and, yes, plenty of good sniffing opportunities. He'd never go somewhere without making sure that was the case. Why have a big sniffer if not to sniff?
Something super paw-some about Chattanooga is that it's the birthplace of bottled Coca-Cola, which Luie Boone finds deeply impressive, even if he’s more of a “water in a travel bowl” guy. In 1899, two local lawyers figured out how to bottle Coca-Cola, transforming it from a soda fountain novelty into a global icon. One of Luie Boone's hooman sisters, Brooke, loves Coca-Cola, so he can't even imagine how excited she'll be to travel here!
Another fun bit of Chattanooga lore? The iconic “See Rock City” signs. What started as a local marketing idea for nearby Rock City Gardens ended up painted on barns across the country, becoming one of the most recognizable advertising campaigns in U.S. history. Luie Boone thinks it’s very bold branding. If barns ever want to advertise “See This Dog & Pet this Dog,” he’s available.
Beyond its cool history, Chattanooga shines as a genuinely dog-friendly destination. The city blends outdoor beauty with an easygoing, welcoming vibe that makes traveling with a pup feel natural, not stressful. Whether you’re into riverside walks, mountain air, or lingering on a patio with your dog stretched out at your feet, Chattanooga delivers.
One of the best places to start is the Chattanooga Riverwalk, also called the Tennessee Riverwalk. This 16-mile paved path runs along the river and is perfect for leashed walks with great views of the water and skyline. Luie Boone says this is a 10 out of 10 walk. It's flat, scenic, and excellent for casual strutting.
Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center is another standout, offering 300+ acres of gardens, forests, and peaceful trails where leashed dogs are welcome.
For dogs who enjoy a little off-leash social time, places like Play. Wash. Pint. and GoDog Dog Park Bar let pups run free while humans relax nearby. Luie Boone appreciates any establishment that understands dogs deserve fun and their people deserve drinks.
Dining out with your dog is also refreshingly simple. Chattanooga has no shortage of dog-friendly patios. Parkway Pourhouse stands out with a fully covered patio that works year-round, water bowls for dogs, and a menu packed with comfort food favorites. Luie Boone personally endorses the vibe and would like you to order something he can stare at respectfully. Other favorites like State of Confusion and Feed Table and Tavern also welcome dogs in their outdoor seating areas.
Just outside the city, Lookout Mountain offers cooler temperatures, wooded trails, and sweeping views of the Tennessee Valley. It’s a favorite for hiking with dogs and enjoying quieter walks surrounded by nature. Luie Boone says the air up there feels fancy.
North of downtown, Signal Mountain rises above the city and offers shaded trails, scenic overlooks, and peaceful spots like Signal Point, Rainbow Lake, and portions of the Cumberland Trail. These spots are perfect for leashed walks and slower, sniff-heavy adventures.
Traveling with a dog always takes a bit of planning, but Chattanooga makes it manageable. Bring the basics—water bowl, treats, waste bags, and any medications—and aim for outdoor activities during cooler parts of the day. Hydration is key, Luie Boone insists, and so are snacks.
Whether you’re strolling the Riverwalk, hopping between downtown patios, hiking Lookout Mountain, or soaking in the quiet beauty of Signal Mountain, Chattanooga makes it easy to bring your dog along for every part of the journey. Luie Boone’s final verdict? Paw-some city!
Paws Rest Here
Luie Boone paw-selected this perfect vacation rental for your stay in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Check it out below!
Rental Name: Twysted Oaks
This rental has 4 bedrooms with 6 beds and 3 baths.
Photos by airbnb.com
It features the following amenities:
Custom built rustic log home
Lake on front of property
You can fish, canoe, paddle board, and swim
Canoe, fishing poles, and paddle boards to use
Small dock
Fire pit
Lakeside little gazebo
Several relaxing rocking chairs on the front, wraparound porch
Back porch is screened-in porch with a custom bar area and 2 large smokers
5-person covered hot tub with accent lighting
Downstairs master bedroom with exterior french doors for easy access
What does Luie Boone think of this rental? He woofed:
My hoomans say we’re going on vacation to a place called Twysted Oaks near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I already know it’s going to be paw-some. From what I’ve heard, it’s a big rustic cabin in the woods with porches, cozy spots, and doors that open straight outside. That sounds perfect for naps, sniff inspections, and important late-night business. Lots of other dogs have stayed there and loved it, which tells me everything I need to know. I’ll be bringing my stuffed raccoon, Ricky, who isn’t just a toy, but a Tennessee-themed professional. The raccoon is the state wild animal, and real ones around Chattanooga are smart, masked, and nocturnal, making Ricky fully qualified for this vacation. He’s my cultural ambassador, emotional support wildlife expert, and trusted co-pilot. There’s a lake right out front with a dock, plus a canoe, paddle boards, and even a little creek, which means swimming, bug chasing, fish watching, and nonstop exploring for me. Add in a big yard and forest trails for long walks, plus deer, frogs, birds, and other wildlife, and it sounds like a dream come true... especially for Ricky, who may finally spot his extended family (from a respectful distance, obviously). At night there’s a fire pit, spooky forest sounds, and a glowing hot tub under a gazebo that I will guard with my whole heart. Some neighbor dogs may be barky, but that’s fine. Why? Cause I speak fluent bark and will be a master traveling therapist. I’m already packed, Ricky is secured, and I am beyond ready for a paw-some stay at Twysted Oaks!
Paws Venture Here
Luie Boone sniffed out and dug up these local gems for you to check out while vacationing in Chattanooga, Tennessee!
Sculpture Fields at Montague Park
Explore the dog-friendly Sculpture Fields at Montague Park, where large-scale art and open green space come together across 33 acres with Lookout Mountain in the background. With more than 50 sculptures and about 1.5 miles of trails, it’s an easy place to wander, pause, and explore with your pup. Dogs are welcome on leash and waste stations are available throughout, which Luie Boone reckons is only polite when you’re strolling through such an impressive outdoor gallery!
Snooper's Rock
If you’re chasing a truly unforgettable view, Snooper’s Rock is the spot. On cool mornings, the Tennessee River Gorge fills with mist and it feels like you’re standing above the clouds, with one of the most breathtaking overlooks in the state waiting at the end. The 6.1-mile Snooper’s Rock Trail is dog-friendly, making it a rewarding hike for you and your canine companion, and despite the name, this hike has nothing to do with Snoop Dogg or Snoopy, which Luie Boone would say is mildly disappointing since his hooman sister is a big fan of both. She's got a Snoop Dog cookbook and a Snoopy coffee mug. Anyways, just know that whether it's sunrise or late afternoon, you won't want to miss seeing the sweeping view over the gorge!
Blowing Wind Falls
The Ritchie Hollow Trail winds through a quiet hardwood forest, passing remnants of old moonshine stills before ending at Blowing Wind Falls, a beautiful 30-foot waterfall tucked into the woods. The falls are seasonal and especially impressive in spring and early summer, and the best part is how accessible they are, letting you wade right up to the base and feel the cool spray. Luie Boone would say it’s the perfect place to dip your paws, supervise the splashing, and pretend you’re very invested in the history while actually watching for falling water droplets.
Chattanooga Riverwalk
Stretching over 16 miles along the Tennessee River, this multi-use path is more than just a place to walk your dog or ride a bike, it’s basically a sightseeing tour with snacks and water breaks built in. The path winds past some of Chattanooga’s most iconic spots, which means great views for you and a constantly rotating lineup of new smells for your dog. Luie Boone would argue it’s less of a trail and more of a very long, very important sniff-based investigation. As a professional sniffer, he'll be stopping to sniff everything not one, not twice, but three times! Because to get a good sniff, you really need to take the time to appreciate it.
Glen Falls Trail
This is a great short hike for you and your pup, packed with pretty scenery and just enough adventure to feel special without being exhausting. The trail winds through a shady forest, passing creeks and small waterfalls, then leads you across a bridge before continuing a bit farther to stone stairs tucked into the rock. You’ll walk through a stone door carved into the rock itself and pop out with a view overlooking the bridge, which feels very main-character for a moment. From there, the path follows the creek for about another quarter mile, weaving between forest and water and passing little cascades after recent rain. Luie Boone reckons this is the kind of trail where you pretend you’re here for nature, but you’re really here for the splashing and dramatic rock entrances.
Rainbow Lake Wilderness Park
Rainbow Lake Wilderness Park is a choose-your-own-adventure kind of hike, with a mix of easy paths and more challenging, rocky sections, plus a swinging bridge over the creek that feels much braver than it actually is. Dogs and their people love scrambling over rocks, splashing through shallow water, and poking around the scenery, though a little caution is smart thanks to steep spots and the occasional copperhead snake. Early on, you’ll pass Burnt Cabin Spring, named for a cabin built nearby around 1890 that didn’t exactly survive the test of time, and once drew visitors hoping the mineral water would work miracles. These days it’s more of a history stop than a hydration station, and Luie Boone would say it’s best admired respectfully while keeping your paws, feet, and curiosity moving down the trail.
Mushroom Rock and Suck Creek
The dog-friendly trail to Mushroom Rock starts at the Shackleford Ridge Park trailhead and heads west through private land that’s still open to the public, which already makes it feel a little adventurous. It’s just over a mile to Mushroom Rock, an enormous stone that genuinely looks like a giant mushroom and absolutely fuels jokes about whether his hooman sister Rachel has been spending too much time thinking about mushrooms lately, which is something Luie Boone would like to clarify he cannot confirm or deny. From there, you can take a short but steep spur down into the gorge to Suck Creek, where the water is clear, fast-moving, and crossed by a long swinging bridge that feels dramatic in a fun way. The climb back up to Mushroom Rock is no joke, but it’s the kind of hike that leaves you tired, happy, and very confident you earned your time in the woods.
The Ice Cream Show
At The Ice Cream Show, they firmly believe sweet treats should never be species-exclusive, which is very important information if you ask Luie Boone. Dogs are welcomed with open arms and treated to Frosty Paws puppy ice cream, a dog-safe delight made with fat-free yogurt, peanut butter, and bananas. The ingredients are high quality and pup-approved, and Luie Boone would argue this is not just ice cream but a core vacation experience, ideally enjoyed slowly, politely, and possibly followed by begging for another scoop.
Luie Boone's Pet Peeve about
Chattanooga, Tennessee
There's just so much to love about this vacation destination, but there's one thing that's got Luie Boone's leash in a twist. He woofed:
My hoomans planned a vacation to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and they would not stop talking about a place called Ruby Falls Cavern. They said it was a giant waterfall inside a dark mountain with shiny wet rocks, echoey sounds, cool mist in the air, and tiny lights glowing on stone walls. It sounded like a magical underground rain room, and I imagined water dripping everywhere, mossy cave smells, and my bark bouncing off the ceiling like thunder. I was ready to bark once and become legend. Then they found out dogs are not allowed inside Ruby Falls. Everything got very quiet. My hoomans looked at me, sighed, and slowly closed the website. No cave. No underground waterfall. No echo bark chamber of dreams. I stared at them to make sure they understood how devastating this was for me personally. But then they did the right thing. They planned trails, rivers, and outdoor places where I can go. Real waterfalls outside where water falls from the sky like nature intended. I might not see the sparkly cave waterfall, but I will see trees, squirrels, rushing streams, and approximately one million excellent smells. Honestly, that feels like the correct kind of adventure, and I forgive them. Plus, I can always bark as loud as I want, wherever I want, whenever I want!
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