Mount Le Conte
The park’s third-highest peak, reachable only on foot. The summit has the Le Conte Lodge, the only lodge in a US national park that can be reached without a road.
Mount Le Conte rises about 2,010 meters above sea level, and its relative height from the base to the summit is the greatest of any peak in the eastern United States. Five trails lead to the summit. The most popular, the Alum Cave Trail, is about 8.6 km one way. The LeConte Lodge at the top has operated since the 1920s, with supplies carried up by pack llamas. Beds are very limited and must be reserved through a lottery a year in advance. The summit has the Myrtle Point sunrise viewpoint and the Cliff Tops sunset viewpoint. A round trip takes 7–8 hours, so start early. Parking in the park for more than 15 minutes requires a parking permit (about US$5 per day).
Opening hours
Trail open year-round; summit hut late March–November
Nearby sights
- Alum Cave Trail
- Grotto Falls
- Newfound Gap
- Chimney Tops
- Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- Charlies Bunion
- Anakeesta
- Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies