You probably think you know Lookout Mountain. I thought I did.

But before last spring, I had never heard of Lula Lake and Falls. While visiting Cloudland Canyon State Park on the western edge of Lookout Mountain, I struck up a conversation with a fellow hiker as we admired the upper falls there. He used to swim at Lula Lake when he was growing up, he told me; it's beautiful, and nobody goes there.

Dale E. Dodson/News Art (ENLARGE)
Rock Creek tumbles about 30 feet down a cascade into the bowl-shaped canyon that forms Lula Lake.
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He was right, although no swimming is allowed now. Lula Lake and Falls is one of the mountain's many hidden treasures. You can visit Glen Falls, which is small and serene by comparison. Or find the Natural Bridge, now so obscure that many locals don't know about it, though at one time it was a popular tourist destination.

Better known to Lookout visitors is Point Park, which commemorates the Civil War battle that took place there and offers a wondrous view of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River. I always enjoy Rock City and Ruby Falls, partially because of a sense of nostalgia — from numerous trips as a child and with my own children — and also because they are scenic and unique places.

This spring, I explored Lula Lake and Falls with the help of Matt Fox, property manager for the trust that owns the lake. The property is open to visitors two Saturdays a month, but Fox showed me around on a weekday.

"I'll take you to where U.S. Grant had his picture taken after Chattanooga fell," he said. "That's the view most folks want to see."

I followed him along a trail that was once a railroad bed, past the lake overlook and the falls to a path veering off to the left. He climbed with ease while I scrambled over rocks and boulders. We wound our way up and over an enormous rock jutting above the gorge that was carved by Rock Creek over millions of years.

At the top, we looked back at Lula Falls as it tumbled a hundred feet to the rocks below. The view was spectacular, but it was not my favorite. I discovered that after Fox left me to explore.

I took the trail down to the base of the falls, and got close enough to feel the spray as thousands upon thousands of gallons of water pulsated over the escarpment above and crashed onto the rocks. My hair and clothing were buffeted by the rhythmic spray and soon became damp because of the humidity. This close, closer to a falls than most state or national parks allow, it's possible to feel the enormous everlasting power of a natural wonder.

Most Southerners, certainly most native Georgians, are familiar with "See Rock City" barn signs and Ruby Falls billboards summoning us to Lookout Mountain, just south of Chattanooga. I've been there numerous times, always enjoying the well-advertised attractions but never taking the time to really get to know the mountain. This spring I did.