Mt. LeConte is the third highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, towering at 6,953 feet. Almost 70 miles of trails lead to Mt. LeConte in some way, shape or form. Trillium Gap, Rainbow Falls, Alum Cave and the Boulevard Trail via the Appalachian Trail are most of the trails that weasel their way up the mountain.
Mt. LeConte is the only lodge available for overnight stays in the Smokies. Reservations at the lodge for overnight stays must be made almost a year in advance. Regardless of whether you have reservations, day hikers can purchase bag lunches from the lodge.
Just remember that the shortest walk to this lodge is the five miles each way through Alum Cave Trail.
Geology gets my rocks off; so in turn, I absolutely adore the Alum Cave Trail. Even if you’re not willing to trudge the 10 miles round-trip to Mt. LeConte, I highly suggest at least marching your way to the Alum Cave Bluffs.
This trail was named because during the Civil War, both the North and the South fought over property rights to extract gun powder from these exposed limestone bluffs. Visitors can hike to the bluffs in just 2.2 miles up the Alum Cave Trail.
If available, I would definitely exploit the fact that Mt. LeConte has several different routes. Having two cars (one at the trail you start and one at the trail you end) definitely helps plan your adventure.
The Roaring Fork area is prime real estate for waterfall and wildlife viewing. Trillium Gap Trail and Rainbow Falls can be made into a loop. If you do that, you actually get the joy of seeing two waterfalls: Grotto Falls on Trillium and then Rainbow Falls. Each of those trails is a little over 6.5 miles each way.
Although each trail is longer than the five-mile trek up Alum Cave, the trails themselves are more level and less steep. Trillium is much easier than Rainbow in my opinion. A few times a week, a herd of llamas prance up Trillium Gap Trail carrying supplies to the lodge. My mentality is that I can do anything a llama can do.
Grotto Falls off of Trillium Gap is the only waterfall that visitors have the opportunity to walk behind safely. The trail actually crosses under the roughly 20-foot waterfall. Rainbow Falls is accessible off of the Rainbow Falls trail. This waterfall is almost 30 feet tall. To me, I almost always favor Grotto over Rainbow any day. If you get the joys of making Trillium Gap and Rainbow in a loop to LeConte, I’d recommend to go up Trillium and down Rainbow. Either way, you’d end up on the Roaring Fork loop right on the edge of Gatlinburg.
Boulevard is the longest trail to Mt. LeConte. Each way is almost the round-trip of all the other trails. To access the Boulevard, you have to hike almost three miles in on the Appalachian Trail before turning off to the Boulevard.
This trail is the most steady in terms of lack of incline and pleasant stroll. I really enjoy the views and the ecology of the area. Boulevard is a higher elevation walk along a ridge.
Regardless of how you get up to the top, Mt. LeConte is a sight to behold. You feel a great sense of accomplishment once you make it to the lodge and grab lunch. Always start early on any of these trails. Bring rain gear because it’s always moist in the higher elevations.
Enjoy your hike! If you find the ranger elevator, let me know. When you go hiking this summer, stop by the Sugarlands Visitor Center and say hello to me!
