Crash Pad

Top choice in Chattanooga


The South's best hostel, run by climbers, is a sustainable den of coolness in Southside, the 'Noog's hippest downtown neighborhood. Co-ed dorms overachieve: built-in lights, power outlets, fans and privacy curtains for each bed. Private rooms feature exposed concrete and bedside tables built into the bed frames. Access throughout is via hi-tech fobs, and linens, padlocks and breakfast supplies are included.

Up to 95% of the materials were reclaimed from the previous building, and there's solar power to boot. It's the first LEED platinum–certified hostel in the world. Book ahead – it fills with outdoor enthusiasts of all ilks on the weekends. Nice hosts, too.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chattanooga attractions

1. Songbirds

0.12 MILES

Myriad songbirds of the avian variety call Tennessee home, but Chattanooga's newly revamped Songbirds – an innovative interactive learning space devoted…

2. Bessie Smith Cultural Center

0.6 MILES

Explores various aspects of African American history in Chattanooga and shares a few artifacts related to Chattanooga-born singer Bessie Smith, the…

3. Sculpture Fields at Montague Park

0.87 MILES

Large-scale sculptures from a global array of artists dot this 33-acre outdoor museum. Open since 2016, the park is a pleasant place to stroll on a pretty…

4. Hunter Museum of American Art

1.37 MILES

Set high on the river bluffs, this striking edifice of melted steel and glass – fronted by an early-20th-century mansion – is easily the most singular…

5. Tennessee Aquarium

1.41 MILES

Situated on the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga, TN, the Tennessee Aquarium is home to 10,000 animals. The aquarium, Chattanooga’s most visited…

6. Ross's Landing & the Passage

1.49 MILES

Tucked between the Tennessee Aquarium and the Tennessee River, the patch of greenery known as Ross's Landing marks the starting point of the Trail of…

7. Walnut Street Bridge

1.53 MILES

Finished in 1891, this half-mile span carried vehicles from downtown to the North Shore until 1978, when it was closed for safety reasons. In 1993 it was…

8. Coolidge Park

1.71 MILES

A good place to start a riverfront stroll, Coolidge Park has a play fountain, a carousel ($1 per ride), well-used playing fields, and a 50ft climbing wall…