Since moving to Georgia just about five years ago, I've heard about Rock City, an attraction in Northwestern Georgia near the Tennessee border. Whenever traveling anywhere near that part of the state or into our neighboring states in that area, it's impossible to avoid seeing barn roofs without 'Visit Rock City' painted on them. As I'm headed to nearby Chattanooga for a race tomorrow, I thought I would finally stop and see what this attraction is all about.
This drive up the winding road along Lookout Mountain ends in the parking area for Rock City. I'm truly amazed at how many people are here. There have to be three or four hundred cars in the parking area and it takes me a little bit to find an open spot. After parking the car, I head to the entrance and show my ticket from my phone. The path is well marked and basically wall-to-wall people.
Essentially, Rock City is a walking path through the natural slots between several gigantic boulders atop the mountain. The owners have made the path very easy to walk and added bridges over the top and themed decorations. They even name some areas of the 'city' and gave them fantasy themes. There are a number of 'fat man squeezes' that the path goes through. There are also some spectacular overlooks and a couple of waterfalls, which I'm fairly certain are main made. I walk in and around the various sections taking a few pictures before finally reaching the end.
All in all it takes about thirty minutes to do the entire walk and I'm left with a bad taste in my mouth. This feels like a molestation of the natural beauty of this place. I'm sure some feel that the 'enhancements' improve the overall beauty, but it's just the opposite for me. I would have much preferred to wander through this area in it's natural state. At least it was a good place to stretch my legs a bit after my long drive.
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