Best trails near Mount Le Conte

My favorite hike! This was my 5th trip up and it didn’t disappoint. Probably the hardest hike up just because my legs are tired from Dollywood (and other hikes.) Got a good parking spot at the trailhead and we arrived just before 8am. I would recommend going to Myrtle Point, especially if this is your only chance to climb Mount Le Conte. The views there are the probably the best on the whole hike.

Mount Le Cont via Alum Cave trail . 11 miles total . Out and back .

TRAIL WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING AND SO FULFILLING!! this is not an easy hike but it was one of the best hikes I’ve ever been on. So much to see and the trail was so much fun. At the top of Mount Le Conte there is a lodge people can stay at with horses and llamas !!! Such a great hike 100% recommend BUT COME SUPER EARLY BECAUSE PARKING LOT GETS FILLED INSTANTLY

Nice challenge but a bit disappointed with view at summit to be honest. Definitely add cliff top trail for a better view. Hike to alum cave bluffs was nice if you don't feel like going all the way to Mount Le Conte. Crowded & parking difficult to find. Lodge & cabins at summit were nice to see.

Both my wife and I agreed that this was our favorite hike so far in GSMNP. We got a late start, not arriving until 11am on a Thursday in October. Parking was tight of course but we managed to find a spot at a pullout south of the trailhead. Although not labeled on the map, one of the trailhead lots has a pair of pit toilets, and there are public pit toilets near the summit on the left just before the lodge, also not labeled. The trail is in really good shape. It’s true there are some areas with wet rock due to water percolating down from above. However, cables attached to the rock in these areas made it a lot safer and were especially necessary on the downhill portions. There is an incredible variety of terrain with this hike from streamside forest to cliffs and mountaintops. Unlike other lower elevation hikes, there weren’t really any wildflowers blooming, though there was plenty of botanical interest. The rhododendron and mountain laurel give way to pine and moss. There are definitely some changing colors though it’s not at peak yet. Still the forest glowed yellow during our descent near sunset. The views were good although there are only a handful of spots you can really appreciate the surrounding mountains due to the trees blocking most views. If you only have time for one, Cliff Top has better views than the summit of Mount Le Conte.

Afraid of heights— review. This hike was beautiful and highly enjoying but has some points that are challenging due to fear of heights. It starts off super easy which is slightly deceptive because it’s beautiful and you think to yourself “ oh this isn’t hard at all.” Then you start to climb and start to feel the challenge, which after doing Chimney Tops and Rainbow Falls ( up to Mount Le Conte) it isn’t terrible for someone who is fit or hikes regularly. The hard part for me was getting across the bluffs to go up and to come down. I held onto my partner to get through those. I have had two years of attempting that hike before. The first year I couldn’t make it to the bluff. The second year I couldn’t make it further than the top of the stairs at the bluff. This year I made it to the top. It was fun, challenging mentally, beautiful, and well worth 2 hours and 37 minutes of looking down at the ground. The smell of Christmas at the top is so incredible and the achievement of making it to the top for someone who is as afraid of heights as I am is really something to be proud of. If I can do it so can you — don’t give up and bring someone you trust to cheer you on.

Beautiful trail! The hike up to the cave has a lot to see and is a moderate hike. For a shorter hike, turning around at the arch would still be worth it with not much elevation gain (I would do this with younger kids). Mount Le Conte offers a stunning overlook, though not a clear ending summit that we found. The trail has significant temperature variations especially if continuing to Mt. Le Conte so wear layers and a good pair of hiking boots. The trail conditions were slick today with lots of water on the trail and several stretches with black ice on the rocks past the cave (mid April). The trail was extremely well maintained, and there is a cable railing along the steeper and more slick sections. There are primitive restrooms at the lodge. We arrived at the parking area at 8:30 a.m. Parking was tight and only got worse throughout the day. Arrive early.

Fantastic hike. We went up past Mt Laconte and made it to Myrtle point. The whole trail was amazing! Worth doing! We saw all ages from 7/8-90s+ and all skill levels. Take your time and you can make it! The views were amazing. Definitely want to do this one again ! My phone did die at one point so I think we actually walked about 2 miles more than what it recorded but we started at 7am and were down by 4:30 pm. We enjoyed several stops including lunch at the top.

I kept hearing the Shire theme song in my head as we were hiking which was the vibe I got from the journey! Just one big adventure

It's a nice, long trail with good elevation gain. you stay above 6,000 feet for much of the trail. i will definitely do this one again! it came out to the 17 miles indicated.

First time hiking Mount LeConte via Rainbow Falls Trail. It was a beautiful hike with amazing views. It’s not an easy hike. We hiked 15.9-miles today. The first leg of the hike there was a breeze and cloudy skies. The rain moved in about 45 minutes after we got to Mount LeConte and it rained on us for the majority of the hike out. Regardless of the rain it was still a great hike.

Wow, awesome trail. Well maintained. So much beauty. Restrooms at trail head and up top at cabins. Did see a young bear on the 3.5 mile road stretch on the way to the trail head and bear poop up near the top.

Beautiful trail, easiest route to go to mount Leconte in my opinion. Only ~3,700 feet elevation gain within 16 miles. Very quiet and peaceful, less traffic.

Alum Cave was a beautiful hike up. Unfortunately, lots of day hikers leaving food and trash along the trail. People need to clean up after their kids. Also grown adults throwing pieces of their sandwiches to birds, really sad to see. Leconte was absolutely gorgeous but the wind made it feel 10 degrees colder at night. We camped at the Leconte shelter which was in good shape. Again, unfortunately there were 2 large groups of irresponsible people, without permits to stay, trying to start forest fires in heavily wooded areas. It’s such a gorgeous area, but if people don’t follow the rules, it won’t stay that way and we will end up like California, on fire! On the way out, we met an Appalachian Trail Ridge runner with a mammoth pack who was doing trail maintenance. On her short section she had picked up well over 10 pounds of trash and was struggling to carrying it out. Note, you need parking passes to park in the Smokies now. They were ticketing cars without permits. Get to trailhead early to avoid waiting for parking. It was really easy to get a parking pass at the Sugarlands visitor center on the way in. There is a kiosk to buy parking at newfound gap but not Alum Cave.

Beautiful trail but brutal, I did Kephart to leconte and then back to kephart. Be ready for the elevation climb getting up to charles bunion but it’s not so bad once you get up to the ridge. The trail up to leconte was very icy so make sure you bring a pair of crampons if you’re going this time of year.

Beautiful hike. The first part is a little steep on the AT but the Boulevard is gradual ups and downs, relatively easy going. The last mile gets steep again. There are two rocky exposed areas where a cable is provided for confidence on the narrow ledge. The views are breathtaking. We took Rainbow Falls trail down from the lodge. It made a total of about 15 miles.