I cannot recommend Highway 111 enough. It has scenic drives and views all in one place. Let me break down the key components that puts Highway 111 on your list for scenery.
Driving Highway 111
The drive alone is enough to get excited about. Highway 111 is not heavily travelled. Plus there’s plenty of room to get around any slow traffic with the two lanes that run over Flattop Mountain. Some of my favorite views are what you can see through the bare winter trees on your way up the mountain from the Chattanooga side. And coming back, the views of Chattanooga are even better. Crossing Flattop Mountain consists of rolling hills while evergreens and pines line both sides of the highway. As you descend into Sequatchie Valley on the other side, the breathtaking views will amaze you. The highway continues across the valley and up the next set of mountains. Here the road will volley between one and two lanes. I don’t often take the road this far back, but it’s also scenic as well. And this is the way to Fall Creek Falls State Park which I’ve recently share a lot about.
Sequatchie Overlook
My favorite feature of Highway 111 is the Sequatchie Overlook. It’s a scenic highway overlook that looks out over the Sequatchie Valley while backdropped by neighboring mountains. To access the overlook from Chattanooga, I suggest taking Highway 27 up to the split where Highway 111 begins with signs for Dunlap, TN. Soon you’ll be headed up Flattop Mountain, across it, and down the other side. As you go down you’ll see the overlook on your left. But you will have to pass it, continue down and take the first exit, East Valley Road. Then re-enter Highway 111 headed south for Chattanooga, TN. Not too far up you’ll see the sign for the scenic overlook pull-off area. There’s typically plenty of parking and space to enjoy the views. For exact location of the overlook, click HERE.
Sunset
Not only is the Sequatchie Overlook a great place to visit during the day, it’s also the perfect spot to watch the sunset. There are quite a few places around Chattanooga that make for great sunset watching spots. But this is definitely one of my favorites. For other sunset spots near Chattanooga click HERE. Note that it can get cold quickly on this mountain side. I would suggest having a jacket handy just in case so you can admire the sunset comfortably. Or, if you want to, you can watch it from inside your vehicle as most of the parking spaces face the mountain-lined horizon.
Nighttime Views
Lastly, my other favorite pastime is to watch the twinkling city lights at night. There’s just something comforting and almost magical about watching the lights twinkle in the valley. This perch may not overlook the city of Chattanooga, but that doesn’t make it any less special. Most people don’t hang around this overlook at this time so you will likely have the place all to yourself. For other nighttime vantage points that overlook Chattanooga click HERE. If you’ve yet to do this, I highly suggest giving nighttime views a try.
Summary of Highway 111
In closing, I just want to reiterate what a gem this spot is. Highway 111 alone is beautiful and the Sequatchie Overlook is stunning as well. If you’re wanting to get away from the city and take in some countryside views, this is the place to go. And if after you’ve finished this one and you’re looking for more, check out my blog post about scenic drives by clicking HERE.
Click HERE to watch the video where I’ll take you on this drive, to the overlook, watch the sunset, and enjoy the nighttime views. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve been to this spot before and what your favorite aspect of it is. Until next week, enjoy Exploring Chatt!
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