LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN

narrow southwestern ridge of the Cumberland Plateau and a segment of the Appalachian Mountains, U.S., extending south-southwestward for 75 miles (120 km), from Moccasin Bend, Tenn., on the Tennessee River across northwestern Georgia to Gadsden, Ala. Most peaks along the ridge rise to 2,000 feet (600 m); the loftiest is High Point (2,392 feet ), near La Fayette, Ga. At the northeastern end, a steep-incline railway ascends to the top of a peak, site of the town of Lookout Mountain, with excellent scenic views. In the interior of the peak are caves with a 145-foot- (45-metre-) high waterfall (Ruby Falls), and atop are the gardens and strange rock formations known as Rock City. During the American Civil War, the Battle Above the Clouds was fought in 1863 on and around this summit.