Walker County Chamber of Commerce

Walker County Attractions

Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park is the location where Union and Confederate armies clashed during the fall of 1863 in some of the hardest fighting of the Civil War. President Benjamin Harrison signed a bill in 1890, 25 years after the war, establishing Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. Covering more than 8,000 acres, it is the nation's oldest and largest military park. Take a self-guided tour and hear an audio account of the battle. Visit the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor's Center from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. (the park is open until 5:45 p.m. during the summer months) take a self-guided tour of the park, enjoy the audio-visual program available, visit the Fuller Gun Museum or just hike or cycle on one of the beautiful trails.

Chief John Ross House is a memorial to John Ross, greatest of the chiefs of the Cherokee Nation. Although only one-eighth Cherokee, he was devoted to his nation and served as Principal Chief from 1828 to his death in 1866. He fought long and hard against the removal of his people by the United States government from Georgia and surrounding states. Ultimately, he led the Cherokees on the sad Trail of Tears journey to Oklahoma in 1838. It is located at Andrews & East Lake Avenue in Rossville, GA. To schedule a tour, call 706-866-5171.

Gordon Lee Mansion, one of Georgia's more historic Antebellum houses, is an escape to the atmosphere of early Southern Aristocracy. It served as a Union headquarters prior to and the site of seven division hospitals during the Battle of Chickamauga in which 37,000 soldiers became casualties. Located 2 miles from the oldest and largest Civil War battlefield in the United States, fighting took place on its grounds. Take a tour of the mansion or stay at one of its bed & breakfast rooms. It is located at 217 Cove Road in Chickamauga.

Lee & Gordon's Mills were established in 1836 by James Gordon when he bought the grist mill with an attached store room from Leroy Holiway. The mill served as the first general store for Walker County. Passing through different owners, the mill was shut down for 26 years until Frank Pierce purchased it in 1993. Mr. Pierce restored the mill, repairing turbines and machinery, allowing two of the original mills to be able to grind today. Hands-on tours of grist mill operations include visual observation of turbines in motion. Demonstrations and tours are available Tuesday-Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The mills are located at 71 Red Belt Road in Chickamauga.

Rock City Gardens - Take an unforgettable journey high atop Lookout Mountain! Enjoy the quiet woodland paths and gardens. Discover ancient rock formations. Explore the 400 species of plants, flowers and shrubs. Each step is a discovery! Cast your wish upon the 140-foot high falls. Stand mightily upon world-famous Lover's Leap and wrap yourself in the magnificent view. Wind your way through massive rock boulders and caverns that bring you to Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village. Magical adventures await you! 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mountain, GA 30750.

Walker County Regional Heritage & Model Train Museum, located at 100 Gordon Street in Chickamauga, the museum provides an array of local history combined with the nostalgia of a working Lionel train set that dates back to 1947. It displays Cherokee arrowheads, Indian artifacts, an old gun collection, antiques and Walker County history. The Museum is open Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.


Chattooga Academy
, completed in 1836 this building is thought to be Georgia's oldest standing brick schoolhouse. Confederate General Braxton Bragg used it as his headquarters before the Battle of Chickamauga. It was later dedicated as John B. Gordon Hall to honor Gordon, a former student and Georgia governor. Located near downtown LaFayette, the building is currently being restored and is not open for tours.

The Marsh Warthen House, located at 308 North Main Street in LaFayette, is an example of Walker County’s dedication to preserving history. The Walker County Historical Foundation is restoring the historic Antebellum home that was built between 1836 and 1850 by Spencer Marsh, a North Carolina native, who moved to the area and became a prominent merchant and planter. The house is available for tours and special events.

Coke Oven Park, located just north of downtown Chickamauga, the park features 100-year-old ovens that transformed coal into coke for use in the iron and steel foundries in nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee. The coal was shipped by train from the Durham coal mines on nearby Lookout Mountain on a winding, precarious railroad constructed around 1891. By 1904, the mines were producing 700 to 1000 tons of coal per day. About 1/5 of the production was manufactured into coke. The coke ovens operated until the Depression years when the seam of coal ran out. The railroad was abandoned in 1951.

The 6th Calvary Museum preserves the rich military history of the “Fighting Sixth” Cavalry, stationed at The Post at Fort Oglethorpe 1919 – 1942. The story of the 6th Cavalry is an illustrious one, beginning in 1861 as a U.S. Cavalry Regiment to present day with Germany and Korea home to 6th Cavalry regiments. Located on the Post’s original parade ground – polo field, the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, surrounded by officer’s homes and other Post buildings.

Cloudland Canyon State Park, is located on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, this is one of the most scenic parks in the state, offering rugged geology and beautiful vistas. The park straddles a deep gorge cut into the mountain by Sitton Gulch Creek, and elevation differs from 800 to 1,980 feet. The most spectacular view into the canyon is found near the picnic area parking lot; however, additional views can be found along the rim trail. Hardy visitors who hike to the bottom of the gorge (including a 600-step staircase) find two waterfalls cascading over layers of sandstone and shale into pools below. (For visitor safety, wading in pools and climbing on waterfalls is not allowed.) Cottages are located near the canyon edge, while the park's walk-in campsites provide exceptional privacy for tents. Outdoor lovers should not miss this park's spectacular scenery.

Chattahoochee National Forest, is far and away Georgia's largest single attraction, both in number of visitors and land area is Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest. At just under 750,000 acres, this is one of the larger national forests east of the Mississippi River. Within its boundaries are hiking trails, scenic overlooks, waterfalls, stunning beauty, lakes and rivers (including some world-class whitewater) and camping.

The Foothills Gallery of the Northwest Georgia Arts Guild is an attraction where a tri-county of professional artists and craft makers have remodeled and renovated a former restaurant across the street from the historic Marsh House to present their work, as well as that of student and emerging artists. You'll often find some of the NW Georgia's best artists on site to tell you about the art and help you choose your favorites.

Lookout Mountain Flight Park is a dream for anyone who has ever dreamed of flight or wondered what it would be like to pilot their own personal soaring craft. Lookout pioneered the integrated instruction of foot launch and aerotow tandem skills. Many students choose to combine traditional training hill lessons with state-of-the-art high altitude tandem aerotow instruction for more air time than ever before.

Lookout Mountain Parkway spans three states as it stretches across Lookout Mountain from Gadsden, Alabama to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Within it's 93-miles, one will find waterfalls, canyons, scenic brow vistas, unique towns and villages, state and national parks and preserves and many more natural wonders.


Lula Lake Land Trust, established by the will of Robert M. Davenport in January of 1994, seeks to protect and preserve the natural beauty and abundant resources within the Rock Creek watershed for the benefit of present and future generations by fostering education, research and conservation stewardship of the land.




Chickamauga Campaign Heritage Trail follows troop movements through the events that led up to the Battle of Chickamauga September 19 and 20, 1863. The trail takes travelers from the Federal Army of the Cumberland off of the Cumberland Plateau, across the Tennessee River, and continues by various routes to the Battle.


Georgia's Blue and Gray Trail, takes visitors to Chickamauga, site of the greatest Confederate victory, then follows a route from Chattanooga to Atlanta, similar to the one that General William Tecumseh Sherman took as he danced a "Red Clay Minuet" with Confederate Commander Joseph E. Johnston and, later, John Bell Hood.

Crockford Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area, is like the thumb extending out of the main axis of Lookout Mountain. The northern tip of the mountain lies about four miles west of LaFayette and stretches southwest for ten miles. The area is a unique place, offering many natural features of exceptional value for wildlife, recreational, historical, scientific and educational purposes.






Take a Walking Tour of Historic LaFayette and experience downtown LaFayette's rich Civil War, Native American and African-American history. Visit Chattooga Academy where Confederate Gen. Bragg planned the Battle of Chickamauga, LaFayette Presbyterian Church that served as a hospital after the Battle of LaFayette, the three-story National Register listed courthouse, the "The Square" business district and some very impressive older homes.

Georgia's Old Federal Road was established in 1805 when the United States and the Cherokee Nation agreed in the Treaty of Tellico to establish the Federal Road through Cherokee territory. This Driving Tour should help today's traveler drive along or close to the route of the Federal Road. Driving the tour takes about 3.5 hours. (Directions for the tour are available at the Walker County Chamber of Commerce as well as Regional Visitor Information Centers. To download the podcast please click the above link.)