'America's Most Amazing Mile' Is A Tennessee Railway That Takes You Cloud-High Up A Mountain

A mile doesn't seem that long if you're walking. But what if a single mile-long railway called "America's Most Amazing Mile" took you on a trip to see one of the loveliest views you've ever laid eyes on? That's precisely what you'll find on a short but pretty much perfect jaunt aboard Chattanooga, Tennessee's Incline Railway. Running since 1895, this funicular railway operates on a single track with a passing loop in the middle and employs a feat of engineering that has been around for centuries.

The Incline Railway will take you on a very steep (72.7 grade) mile-long trip from St. Elmo to the top of Lookout Mountain and back down again. It might sound like a small thing, but the views on the way up and down and from the top are incredible. Tickets can be purchased online and at either the top or bottom stations. For $20 ($10 for kids aged 3 to 12), you can take this trip with plenty to do on both sides. 

This heated (not air-conditioned, but they do have windows for a breeze) rail trip takes about 10 minutes each way, and it runs every 20 minutes, every day other than Thanksgiving and Christmas. Monday through Friday, it runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on weekends, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the last car leaving 40 minutes before closing time. It's also wheelchair accessible. If you're looking for a great way to maximize your time in the area and admire grand views of the Appalachians and Chattanooga, look no further. (Don't forget to bring binoculars or quarters for the ones at the top!)

You can start your Incline Railway trip from the top or the bottom. At the top, you can park at metered spots on the street or the bottom station's lot for $5 and under. Even if you're just riding the funicular, there are snack shops and gift shops at both ends. Besides enjoying a wide panorama of the Tennessee Valley, there is a lot to see and do in the surrounding area. If you park at the top, you can walk five minutes to Point Park, the site of the 1863 Battle Above the Clouds, as well as the nearby Battles for Chattanooga Electric Map & Museum. Plus, if you take the Incline Railway in the spring, you'll get a fantastic view of the mountain laurel and azaleas blooming along the way. Even more fun is trying to spot adorable groundhogs at the Top Terminal.

The Incline is also an eight-minute drive to Rock City Trail, one of Georgia's most visited natural attractions with incredible rock formations and gardens. Also worthwhile is the nearby Ruby Falls cave and waterfall, where you descend 260 feet in a glass elevator and hike to the waterfall, which is dramatically lit up. Just under the funicular, you'll find the popular Clumpies Ice Cream, with unique flavors like "firecracker" (tutti frutti with popping candy). You're also not far from the Tennessee Aquarium and IMAX 3D Theater. If you're planning to make a full trip of it, it's worth taking a 20-mile drive across the state border to Georgia to do some camping or glamping at Cloudland Canyon State Park or drive an hour or so to Sweetwater, Tennessee, to visit the Lost Sea, America's largest underground lake.