For at least a decade, people have been saying that Chattanooga, in southeastern Tennessee, is going to be the next big outdoors town. And though it gets recognized as a must-visit southern city, it hasn’t blown up like folks had hoped. Selfishly, I count this as a good thing, because spots such as Stone Fort – a blue-ribbon boulder field and a host location of the Triple Crown Bouldering Series – have remained mostly local hangouts.

Twenty minutes from downtown, on the Montlake Golf Course, the bouldering hub boasts 700 problems, rated V1 to V12, so you’ll have no problem staying busy no matter your skill. The golf course charges $8.75 to climb for the day, and rents crash pads and offers climbing guides to help get you going. Afterwards, if it’s Friday, venture up Signal Mountain to catch live old-time bluegrass at the Mountain Opry, off Highway 127.

Published April 2018: View  PDF