Are you an early morning riser? If so, you’re probably wondering where to watch the sunrise in Chattanooga. And even if you’re not a morning person, you may still find it worthwhile to wake up early for this one.
TVA’S Raccoon Mountain
Arguably the best place for sunrise in Chattanooga is found on TVA’s Raccoon Mountain. Not to be confused with the Raccoon Mountain Caverns & Campground across the street. TVA’s Raccoon Mountain is used as a power reserve for Chattanooga by pumping river water up to the water reservoir at the peak. When additional power is needed, they can then use the water in the reservoir to generate power through the hydroelectric power production process. To learn more about this TVA project, click HERE.
Sunrise in Chattanooga
The best spot to watch the sunrise in Chattanooga is on Raccoon Mountain at the East Overlook. This spot offers the perfect vantage point to watch the sun slowly rise over the Tennessee River, downtown Chattanooga, and the neighboring mountains.
The only downside is that this section of the mountain is gated closed and only opens at 5:30AM central time. That’s 6:30AM eastern time (Chattanooga time). Which means, you can only access the East Overlook in time for sunrise during the months of September through April. The best months to go would be November through December, although it will be much colder then. Despite the time, don’t let the closed gate stop you from enjoying a cool, summer morning sunrise. Right in front of the gate leading to the overlook is a small area to park and wait. Here you can enjoy the sunrise through the powerline clearing. Although powerlines may not be the ideal view, it’s still a breathtaking spot to watch the sunrise in Chattanooga.
Stick around and wait for the gate to open. Sometimes it’s late. When I went it was 15 minutes late but it was well worth the wait. There were only a couple of cyclists meeting there and that was it! I drove up to the East Overlook which only took a few short minutes. From there I was able to enjoy a little more of the sunrise before moving on to my next stop.
Morning on Raccoon Mountain
After the sun has risen further into the sky, take a little drive around the reservior. This iconic Chattanooga road is a popular spot for photos. So much so that people will often hold up traffic here just to take pictures. Don’t be one of those people. Instead, visit right after sunrise and you’ll have the entire place to yourself. You can take photos and videos galore without getting in anyone’s way.
If you want to spend even longer on the mountain, consider bringing your mountain bike along to ride some of the 28 miles of trails on Raccoon Mountain. Or pack a breakfast and take a short hike around the Laurel Point Loop, enjoying the bluff overlooks along the way. The options are endless. For some of my favorite hiking spots and tips on Raccoon Mountain, click HERE.
Final Thoughts
Considering it was a Saturday, I am so thrilled that I got to enjoy the popular spots of Raccoon Mountain almost completely alone. I spent about 2 hours and truly enjoyed this peaceful sunrise in Chattanooga experience before getting on with my day.
To watch the video of my experience, click HERE. And if you’ve seen the sunrise in Chattanooga, let me know in the comments below where and how you enjoyed it. Until next week, enjoy Exploring Chatt!
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