Rock City Garden

March 24th, 2025 7:40 pm 2 minute read

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Rock City Gardens

On the drive back from Florida to Kansas there is a scenic and dog-friendly attraction at the Georgia/Tennessee border called Rock City Gardens. The green and pink trees contrasted vibrantly today and we liked it so much we walked the park twice. The kids were mostly agreeable and Deja rocked her visit, too. Its spectacular views and pet friendly atmosphere warrant a visit.

I first stopped by Rock City in April 2022 with Christian, the children, and our previous dog Serendipittie. It was a wonderful visit then, as well. It became a beautiful farewell with Dip as she passed away withing the week of returning. It was worth returning today and making new memories. The garden has a lot of nooks and crannies to hide in with your dog. It keeps the visit low key and and lets other dogs pass without them often noticing. A few treats also go a long way.

Walk Rock City

This morning the family visited again with our current dog Deja. The weather couldn’t have been better. The view from the lookout was clear to the horizon. We encountered several dogs and Deja was able to keep her cool. I redirect her with cookies, practice heels/sits/downs, or divert down alternat pathways. I *may* have slipped her an extra trazadone before we left the camper in the morning. There really weren’t many squirrels or other types of wild like there were at Bok Tower a paid pet friendly garden back in Florida.

Other Notes about Rock City

The only detraction might be that steep decline on the drive back down. Of course they greet you at the end with a wine tasting and gift shop. We added a couple local bottles of local wine to our stash. Rock City simply has that feel good vibe and we really gave it our all today. I will be happy to stop by again in the future.

Dog Training Foundations

I opted not to use the clicker during our visit. The environment was too idyllic to interrupt and the caves echoed a lot. There were great visual barriers and alternative pathways scattered so I primarily redirected with tossed treats. Auto check-ins and heel cues earned rewards. Deja and I took our time entering narrow spaces to give the open areas time to clear out. We use the ‘Super Bowls’ Pattern game from Control Unleashed: Reactive to Relaxed during times of alert. Learn more about the training tools I utilize during our travels in our Traveling with Dogs Blog.

If you’re planning in hitting the road or catching a flight with your dog we can help you formulate a game plan for success. Schedule your FREE discovery call today!

-Emily Coleman, CBCC-KA