Visitors gather for a scenic look from Lovers Leap at Rock City in Lookout Mountain, Ga., Nov. 3, 2003. October attendance at Rock City increased 24 percent over October 2002. (AP Photo/Dan Reynolds)
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- It's been advertised on barns, billboards and birdhouses across much of the country. It's a wonderland with a memorable section called "fat man's squeeze." It's been remembered in a Jason Aldean country song.
Rock City, a cultural capstone with endurance like few other tourist attractions, is celebrating its 80th anniversary.
About 400,000 visitors annually come to Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga to see the 200-million-year-old rock formations, enjoy scenic vistas and walk among 400 native plant species.
On the site are a 100-foot-high waterfall, a 1,000-ton balancing rock, a swinging bridge and the "fat man's squeeze" challenging visitors to maneuver between imposing boulders.
And it's used an unconventional advertising campaign without corporate muscle: Barns, billboards and bird houses proclaim the commanding invitation "See Rock City."