United States · Appalachians, Tennessee
Ruby Falls
Hidden 260 metres below Lookout Mountain inside Ruby Falls Cave, this is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall commercially accessible in the United States, reached by elevator and a guided cavern walk. It was rediscovered by cavers in 1928 while searching for a way to reopen a larger, dried-up cave above it.
Hidden 260 metres below Lookout Mountain inside Ruby Falls Cave, this is the tallest and deepest underground waterfall commercially accessible in the United States, reached by elevator and a guided cavern walk. It was rediscovered by cavers in 1928 while searching for a way to reopen a larger, dried-up cave above it.
Ruby Falls drops 44 metres (144 ft) on the underground stream. It is a plunge-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Chattanooga, with CHA the closest airport. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy.
Underground and climate-controlled, accessible identically in any season.
What you can do here
Caving
Underground rivers, subterranean falls, and passages that go in behind the water.
Photography
Light angles, moonbows, spray management and the hours that actually work.
When to go
Underground and climate-controlled, accessible identically in any season.
Entry: Tour ticket ~$25-30 USD
Getting there
- Base townChattanooga
- AirportCHA
- CountryUnited States
- RegionAppalachians, Tennessee, North America
- AccessEasy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint
On the map
35.0122, -85.3383
Quick answers
How tall is Ruby Falls?
Ruby Falls drops 44 metres (144 feet). It is a plunge-type waterfall on the underground stream.
When is the best time to visit Ruby Falls?
Peak flow is January to December. Underground and climate-controlled, accessible identically in any season.
What can you do at Ruby Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: caving and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated easy — a short walk or roadside viewpoint.
How do you get to Ruby Falls?
The usual base is Chattanooga, and the closest airport is CHA. A short walk or roadside viewpoint from there. Tour ticket ~$25-30 USD.
Nearby & similar
More in North America
Amicalola Falls
The tallest cascading waterfall east of the Mississippi tumbles down a series of rock staircases beside a 604-step metal stairway t…
Tallulah Falls
A series of cascades drop nearly 150 metres in total through a 300-metre-deep gorge that was once a premier 19th-century tourist at…
Cumberland Falls
One of the very few places in the Western Hemisphere where a consistent lunar rainbow, or 'moonbow,' forms in the spray on clear ni…
Linville Falls
Two drops feed into Linville Gorge, the deepest canyon in the eastern United States, with several short trails leading to overlooks…