Chattanooga is a great place especially if you like nature-related activities and scenery which seem to be everywhere in the city. Even the downtown area has a lot of trees along the sidewalks and a very unique park (Miller Park) with a waterfall and fountain. All the power cables are underground so there is a feel of openness which adds to the sense of natural beauty and softens the appearance of what would normally be expected of a downtown area.

      A nice one-hour to two-hour downtown walking route starts at the corner ML King and Broad Streets. From there, walk north (the freeway will be on your left) down Broad Street pass several nice restaurants, the Majestic Movie Theater, and to the Tennessee Aquarium. Turn left at the Aquarium on 2nd Street and then turn right on Chestnut Street. Walk across Riverfront Parkway.  At this point, you should explore the revitalized riverfront area and then take the Riverwalk (going in the upstream direction) that goes along side the Tennessee River.

If you so desire, you can stay on the Riverwalk for the next 8 miles but I doubt if many people will want to walk that distance.  After walking about 10 minutes, you will come to the Walnut Street Bridge which is the first major bridge that you will get to.  There you will find some fairly steep steps to climb to get to the bridge level.  This bridge has been converted into a pedestrian walkway so as you approach the bridge, you will see people walking across the bridge or sitting on one of the benches placed along the bridge. You can now turn back, keep going on the Riverwalk, or climb the steps to the bridge level. 

If you choose to climb the steps up to the bridge level -
You can stroll across the Tennessee river without worrying about cars. At the bridge entrance is a unique pedestrian bridge (with see-through floor) that goes over Riverfront Parkway to Hunter Art Center. My tour takes you over that bridge to Hunter.  If you choose instead to walk across the Walnut street bridge you will find on the other end of the bridge the popular Coolidge Park which has an antique Denzel carousel that has been restored and fitted with 52 carved animals.  In any case, to get back on my tour, eventually make your way across the bridge (with the see-through floor) to Hunter Art Center.

If you choose to continue on the Riverwalk without going to the Walnut Street bridge level -
The path will take you under the Walnut Street bridge and there will be (you guessed it) another set of steps to climb (albeit not as steep) that will take you to the Hunter Art Center. 

Inside Hunter is an art museum and a connection to a very interesting mansion.  My tour will stop here because (I am guessing) you have had enough walking for a day.  If you want to continue, then leave Hunter and walk down Bluff View Street for a 3-minute walk that will bring you to an interesting outdoor culture park.  You can continue on the Riverwalk just beyond the park and keep walking down the river until you drop!

      If you want to venture out of the downtown area, drive 10 miles south on Rossville Blvd (Hwy 27) to the Chickamauga Civil War Battlefield (Officially known as the Chickamauga National Military Park) where many times deer are seen grazing.  To find Rossville Blvd. from downtown, get on the freeway going east using the entrance ramps on either Market Street, or ML King and drive like you are going toward Atlanta. You will see the Rossville exits after traveling only a short distance of less than a mile. Take the Rossville exit going south and follow that road (Hwy 27) untill you reach the Battlefield. There you will find trails on which seldom anyone is seen and trails that have a lot of walking traffic; so there is a choice of environment depending on your level of adventure. This park is located on highway 27 just across the Georgia state line and has a free museum that includes a very large display of Civil War era guns and cannons.  In fact, this location is second (in the nation) only to Gettysburg when it comes to the number of cannons positioned over the wide expanse of the battlefield park and is our nation's first National Military Park.  Many monuments and signs tell somberly of the battles that took place on these grounds in and around September, 1863 where over 4,000 soldiers were killed, over 7,000 wounded and 15,000 were left missing. This is a free attraction.

      Another interesting place to go the few people know about is the TVA Raccoon Mountain Pump Storage Visitors Center and Reserve about 15 minutes from downtown. There you can discover many facts about the Tennessee Valley Authority and the interesting pump storage generating plant. Also there are may dirt bike and walking trails and a very nice view of the Chattanooga downtown area and the Tennessee River Gorge from the overlook points. This is a free attraction. UPDATE: The Raccoon Mountain Visitor's Center is closed while some extensive maintenance is being done on the generators, but you can still explore the dirt bike trails and drive across the longest dirt filled dam in Tennessee (1 mile long). About two thirds the way across the dam is a road which takes you to a park called Laurel Point where there are rest rooms and picnic areas. For more information on this area, go to this link.

      There are too many parks, walkways and nature trails to mention singularly in this short article but I will say that if walking is a favorite activity of yours, Chattanooga is a place that you will like.  In general, you can find specific information about festivals and other attractions at The Chattanooga City Web Site.