If an 11-mile hike with some awesome views along the way is something you’re interested in, then read on!
Now, I’m no hiking expert by any means and have just recently developed an interest within the last 2 years or so. I’m definitely still learning! But I’ve had a lot of people ask me about this hike so figured I could share some info about it, just in case you’re up for the challenge!
If you’re like me, your idea of visiting the mountains includes actually experiencing the mountains, not just looking at them from a distance. There are so many different hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains it’s hard to pick! There are options for everyone; short, easy hikes, hikes to waterfalls, more family-oriented hikes, and of course more difficult hikes. This hike would be considered one of the more difficult ones.
Mt. LeConte is the third highest peak in this mountain range. It has an elevation of 6,594 feet! At the top is a campground where you can rent cabins (click here if you’re interested!) and stay if you’d like, as well as a small restaurant and gift shop. If you’re lucky, it’ll be a clear day and you’ll be able to see for miles! If you’re unlucky like me, however, you’ll make it alllll the way to the top to be greeted by…clouds. Oh well! At least I had some great views along the way!
The best time of the year to go is spring/summer if you want to see the rhododendrons in bloom. Autumn would be a great time too, I’m sure all the fall colors would be beautiful! I would imagine winter would make the trail difficult to pass due to snow and ice.
There are about 5 different trails that you can take to get to the top of Mt. LeConte. I chose to do the Alum Cave Trail, which was 11 miles roundtrip. This one is considered the most popular because it is the shortest, but is definitely not the easiest. I would estimate for it to take 4-7 hours, depending on how motivated you are and how many breaks you took. There’s no need to rush though! It took us about 7 hours, but we didn’t see any need to push ourselves too hard since we didn’t have any other plans the rest of the day, so we spent probably an hour at Alum Cave just resting. The trail starts off pretty easy, with plenty of shade and a very slow incline as you walk along a peaceful little creek. Look for places where people have stacked rocks!
The trail then slowly starts to ascend more and more. You can expect a lot of stairs! I would say the first half of the hike to Alum Cave would be doable with children, and I saw several families. Just be careful because there are several “bridges” (aka a piece of lumber with a railing over a creek). There’s also a place called Arch Rock about halfway to Alum Cave where the stairs actually go into it the rock. However, the second half of the hike after Alum Cave is more strenuous, and there are more cliffs with sheer drop offs, where the trail is literally carved into the side of the mountain with cables to hold onto. I noticed a lot of people with kids were having to carry them at this point! All I know is I was barely able to get myself up there, let alone trying to make it up with a toddler on my back! No thanks!
The other popular trails to get to Mt. LeConte are Boulevard Trail (16 miles), Bullhead Trail (14.4 miles), Rainbow Falls Trail (13 miles), and Trillium Gap Trail (13 miles). Whichever one you choose; you’ll end up at the same spot eventually! Just be careful as some of these trails are used to transport llamas carrying supplies to the top.
You’ll know you’re almost at the cabin site when the trail flattens out and you’re walking through a mossy area lines with pine trees – it literally felt like a fairytale, especially with the mist! Totally expected a unicorn to walk out at any moment.
Once you get to the top, if you go past the cabins there are more viewpoints. Truthfully, I didn’t visit these since it was so misty and I knew I wouldn’t be able to see anything, so I chose to grab a t-shirt instead. If it’s a clear day though, definitely check it out!
If you want to do the Alum Cave Trail, try to get there early as the parking lot fills up fast. I wanted to get there at 7 but we didn’t make it until closer to 8 and ended up having to park along the road, which is fine too. Just watch while crossing the road, there was a lot of traffic! To find the start of the trail, I literally just typed it into the Maps app on my iPhone and it took us where we needed to go. Here’s a screenshot to give you an idea of where it is, right off US-441! It’s about 13 miles from Gatlinburg. We had terrible service in this area so it’s smart to kind of have an idea of where it’s at. There are bathrooms at the parking lot and I highly recommend going prior! Otherwise your options are squatting in the woods or using the extremely smelly outhouse at the top. Take your pick!
I’m not sure how we got so lucky, but the day we went (mind you, this was in July!) it was literally about 60 degrees that morning! And I don’t even think it got above 80 degrees until we were finishing the hike, so it was perfect weather! I was actually cold enough that morning I packed long pants in a hoodie into our backpack just in case. Speaking of packing, these are a few things I recommend bringing with you!
- Obviously, a camera! Cell phone works fine too, just don’t expect to be able to use it much besides to take photos.
- Insulated water bottle! Drink plenty to stay hydrated. You can refill at the top! I have this one and love it.
- Snacks. I packed some granola bars, crackers, and fruit snacks with me to give me some boosts of energy when needed!
- Sun screen. If it’s particularly hot and sunny, you’ll want some protection as there’s several spots where you aren’t protected by shade.
- Bug spray. I never really got bothered by mosquitos or anything, but just in case.
- If you are in a group, walkie-talkies are a great idea since cell service is terrible. There was only one spot on the hike towards the top I actually had reception.
- First aid kit. Include things like Bandaids, Tylenol/ibuprofen, Benadryl, gauze, ace wraps, etc! It’s very easy to sprain an ankle or scrape a knee on this trail.
- Spare change of clothes. I have weird anxiety about needing a change of clothes almost everywhere (I even keep a spare set in my vehicle!). Would be smart to pack a set in case you get rained on, muddy, or decide to take a dip in the creek!
- Bear spray is optional, but there ARE black bears in this area. Black bears are typically not aggressive and like most wildlife, are more afraid of you than you are of them. It’s not nearly as common to see them on this trail as it is other places, but they are still out there. We actually didn’t pack any for this trip since I wasn’t too worried about it, but if our trip to Banff in July had worked out we definitely would’ve purchased some.
- This trail is a very common trail and nearly impossible to stray off of. But if you’re a wanderer or struggle with directions, you should bring a map and compass just in case.
- We saw several people with hiking poles. Personally, I don’t think they would benefit me much, but that’s up to you!
- Good hiking shoes. I personally wore tennis shoes for this instead of my actually hiking boots, but anything sturdy with good support would probably be fine, even Chacos!
- And of course, a good backpack to carry all of this in!
I absolutely loved this hike and would definitely do it again someday. In the future I would also like to hike Mount Cammerer and Grotto Falls! If you’re interested in seeing where we stayed at when we went to the Smoky Mountains, check out my Gatlinburg blog post.
Have you ever hiked to Mt. LeConte? If so, what was your experience like? If you’ve ever been and have recommendations you’d like to add, comment below! I can’t wait for it to cool off here in Illinois so I can go try some local hikes!
Also, another huge thanks to the wonderful family Dalton and I met during this hike for including us in your group! You guys were so welcoming and I hope we can eventually come down to Louisiana and meet up with ya’ll!