Ruby Falls is a waterfall cave attraction known for an underground waterfall, elevator descent, and Lookout Mountain setting.
MetricCave review status
Last reviewedMar 16, 2026
Reviewed byMetricCave Editorial
Review date reflects the latest MetricCave check of the planning details on this page.
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Ruby Falls is built around an underground waterfall destination in Lookout Mountain where the guided route is built around one dramatic underground payoff.
Most visitors stop in Chattanooga for fuel, food, or lodging before or after visiting Ruby Falls.
The History & Geology
Ruby Falls was discovered in 1923 during excavation of an elevator shaft that was originally meant to reach Lookout Mountain Caverns, when workers broke into another cave at about the 260-foot level.
The waterfall chamber was named for Leo Lambert's wife Ruby and the waterfall quickly eclipsed the lower-cave trip as the main draw.
Gurnee describes the passage from the elevator to the falls as the natural drainage route, which helps explain why the visit builds through a narrow winding lead-in toward one large waterfall room.
Make a day of it
Ruby Falls is often paired with a wider Lookout Mountain visit around Chattanooga.
