While it is not exactly the one place on earth I would go
given a choice, Ruby Falls is special to me because a trip to the site is one
of my earliest memories from childhood. Ruby Falls is a 145 foot waterfall a
little over a thousand feet under the surface of Lookout Mountain in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. According to the Ruby Falls website, the cave began forming millions of years ago when the North American and African Tectonic plates collided for thousands of years and created Lookout Mountain. Lookout Mountain is mainly composed of limestone, and the process which created the Ruby Falls Cave occurred slowy over time. For more information on the creation and geology of Lookout Mountain and the Ruby Falls Cave, you can visit the Ruby Falls website: http://rubyfalls.com/pages/Ruby-Falls-Geology/
This a sample of limestone. The limestone in this picture looks white, but it can also be found in other colors as seen in the Ruby Falls Cave.
As you can see, Ruby Falls is not visible from the air because it is inside of a cave. Still, the visitors' center and entrance are nice.
Water from the falls collects in a pool at the bottom. In this picture the light around the falls is supposed to look realistic, so spectators are able to see the cave and water in their natural state.
At times the lights around the falls turns different colors, mainly purple, blue, green, yellow, and red, as part of the Ruby Falls tour. The water looks pretty when it changes colors, but the entire cave is still amazing without the artificial effects.
The Ruby Falls cave also features other interesting geologic formations. This picture shows some of the features of the cave, which are results from natural events, including water erosion of the limestone.
If you are ever in the Chattanooga area, it is definitely worth your while to visit Ruby Falls.
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