On a weekday, the last car down from the top of the Incline Railway leaves at 5:20 p.m. Upstairs at the top station, SoHi Pizza and Mountain Top Bar keeps serving until 9:30. Back at the bottom, the Jeni's on St. Elmo Avenue scoops until 9 Monday through Thursday and until 11 Friday through Sunday. In 2026, both ends of America's Most Amazing Mile got somewhere to stay late. The railway connecting them did not.
That four-hour gap explains how the Incline works for St. Elmo and Lookout Mountain residents this winter. The track is an afternoon outing. After dark, the stations are two separate destinations, and the one at the top is a drive.
The Schedule at Each End
Here are the hours each business publishes. The Incline's come from its official FAQ, which notes that the last car leaves 40 minutes before closing. SoHi's are the hours the Chattanooga Times Free Press printed in June. Jeni's are from the company's own shop listing.
| Stop | Address | Weekday hours | Weekend hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeni's St. Elmo, lower station | 3917 St. Elmo Ave. | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon–Thu; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri | 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. |
| Incline Railway | Between the two stations | 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., last car 5:20; Monday service unclear, call ahead | 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., last car 6:20 |
| SoHi Pizza and Mountain Top Bar, upper station | 827 East Brow Road | 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. | 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. |
The railway has the shortest day of the three. On a Saturday, Jeni's stays open about four hours after the last car comes down, and SoHi keeps its kitchen running for three more hours after its last diners could have ridden down.
A Scoop Shop Where Clumpies Used to Be
The lower station changed hands in the spring. In March, WTVC reported that the Reinert Group had taken over the Incline's ticketing and the businesses around the railway. The same report said Clumpies would no longer operate in St. Elmo, while its Northshore and Southside shops would stay open.
The Reinert Group's ice cream plan opened in June as Jeni's first Chattanooga shop, according to the Times Free Press business roundup. A public grand-opening party followed on the evening of July 9, as Chattanoogan.com announced.
The shop sits at the railway's street address, but its hours have nothing to do with the railway's. It is open late enough to be an after-dinner stop on St. Elmo Avenue. The Times Free Press also reported plans for a second storefront by the ticket booth with Julie Darling Donuts, fudge and an espresso machine. That was a plan as of June, not an opening.
A Pizza Counter Built With the Mountain in Mind
At the top, SoHi soft-launched in March. The Times Free Press Food Scene review describes the routine: order a pie downstairs, then carry it to the second-floor Mountain Top Bar for a cold beer and the view. Pizzas run $13 to $18 and are made on house dough. The names are playful. Cluck Around and Find Out, at $16, has buffalo chicken, mozzarella, red onion and a ranch drizzle. The Fun-Guy Supreme, the Ghosted Ex and the Grass Kicker round out the list, along with garlic Parmesan bites and cheesy bread. The cooler is stocked with TRC, Sun Drop, Ale-8-One and a pickle-flavored soda.
That newspaper review also explains why SoHi keeps evening hours. Owner Jonathan Reinert told the paper he wanted the restaurant to work for tourists and also for locals, especially Lookout Mountain residents. A neighbor on East Brow Road can walk over or make a short drive after work. The review opens with the two ways to get there: drive the winding road up the mountain, or park in St. Elmo and take the roughly 10-minute ride. After the last car, the road is the only way up.
The Agreement Allows Later Hours Than the Railway Runs
The short railway day is a choice within a wider limit. On August 11, CARTA and the Town of Lookout Mountain settled a months-long dispute over the Incline. The Times Free Press reported that the deal caps ridership at 2,000 passengers a day and sets operating hours of 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. CARTA has until 10 p.m. to bring riders back down. According to Chattanoogan.com, the two parties also agreed to work together on the Upper Station's future, including possible improvements and new uses. No start date or timeline was given.
Put those terms next to the table above. The agreement would let cars run until 9 p.m., and SoHi closes at 9:30. The published Incline schedule stops two to three hours short of what the town agreed to. If the railway ever adds evening runs, a ride up for dinner is already allowed. For now, the Incline FAQ still lists the daytime hours and notes that "hours are subject to change without notice."
Planning a Ride This Winter
Since the railway's hours are the tightest of the three, plan around the railway first and fit the food in after.
- Ride up for lunch or an early dinner. SoHi opens at 8:30 a.m., so the full operating day works for a pizza at the top. On weekdays, plan to be in line for the 5:20 car down. On weekends, the last car is at 6:20.
- Save Jeni's for after the ride. The shop at the bottom is open hours after the railway closes, so ice cream works best as the last stop of the afternoon, or a separate evening stop on St. Elmo Avenue.
- Drive up for evening pizza. After the last car, getting to East Brow Road means taking the mountain road.
- Call before you go on a Monday. The FAQ says the Incline runs daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas and Mondays, but in the same paragraph it lists Monday-through-Friday hours. The phone number is 423-821-4224.
The calendar matters too. The railway is closed on Thanksgiving, November 26 this year, and on Christmas Day. Round-trip fares on the Take a Ride page are $24.99 for adults and $12.99 for children ages 3 to 12. Children 2 and under ride free with a paying passenger. The FAQ adds that holiday rates may apply.
One winter detail is useful for longtime neighbors. From December through February, riders over 65 pay $11 with Medicare, an ADA eligibility card, or a state or federal ID showing date of birth. That's less than half the regular adult fare, and the discount starts in less than four weeks. The same page notes that the new car design allows wheelchairs on board.
The December Night St. Elmo Lights Its Own Streets
The neighborhood's own evening event takes place a few blocks from the lower station, on streets the railway doesn't serve. The 2026 St. Elmo luminaria is set for Saturday, December 19. Kits cost $10 and can be picked up from 6 to 9 p.m. at 5500 St. Elmo Ave., according to the ticketing page. The listing invites households to "help light up all of St Elmo" and says all proceeds go to a charity chosen by the St. Elmo community. Jeni's will still be open at 9 p.m. that Saturday, two hours before it closes.
When you're thinking about life at the foot of Lookout Mountain or on top of it, from weekend routines to what a move would look like, The Robinson Team is glad to talk through St. Elmo and the mountain with you. Contact Us.
