Hike-in Required
Yes
Sleeps
1-4
Potable water
Yes
Heated
Yes
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in America. Millions travel through the park every year, but only a sliver of those guests truly experience the magic of the mountains—moments unlike any that can be found at an overlook, roadside, or even on a short trail. This kind of magic will leave you with a true sense of what life was once like before the park was established. That kind of beauty can only be found in a cliff-top sunset or a Myrtle Point sunrise. The warmth of that feeling can only be felt while standing on the porch of your LeConte Lodge cabin, sipping on hot chocolate and looking out over the hustle and bustle of the world below.

The LeConte Lodge is located on Mount LeConte, the third-highest peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The lodge can only be accessed by the following trails: Alum Cave Trail, Rainbow Falls Trail, Trillium Gap Trail, and Porter's Creek Trail. You can day hike to the LeConte Lodge year round, but to truly soak up the experience, an overnight stay is a must.

Hike up, get settled in your rustic yet cozy cabin, then say hello to the staff and grab a cup of coffee in the dining hall. You'll also find a delicious, family-style dinner and breakfast served there that's included in your stay. Catch the sunset with other guests on the cliff tops and then sleep cozily under the lodge's wool blankets. All rustic cabins are furnished with heat and oil lamps, the water isn't heated, and restroom facilites can be found in the nearby outhouse. These qualities only contribute to what is a very magical, unforgettable, and truly old-fashioned Smoky Mountain experience.

Logistics + Planning

Congestion

Frequently full

Parking Pass

None

Open Year-round

No

Open from

March 19 to November 20

Price per night

$71-160/night

Pros

Views. Unique setting. Epic sunsets and sunrises. Accessible only by trail.

Cons

Reservations are in high demand.

Pets allowed

Not Allowed

Reservations possible

Yes

Managed by

Stokely Hospitality Enterprises

Reservation phone number

1 (865) 429-5704

Features

Flushing toilets
Potable water
Heating (forced air or radient)
Continental breakfast
Historically significant
Big vistas
Wildflowers
Wildlife

Location

Nearby Adventures

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Comments

03/27/2019
As of March 25th the LeConte Lodge is open for their 2019 season. Changes to routes to LeConte for this year are as follows:

- Rainbow Falls Trail restorations are complete. Rainbow Falls Trail is now open unless temporary closures are in place by the park.

- As of May 2019, trail crews will begin a restoration project on the Trillium Gap Trail. The trail will be fully closed on Monday - Thursday evenings and will be open Friday-Sunday.

All other trails to LeConte are open unless there is a temporary closure in place by the national park service due to weather or other incidents.
09/18/2018
Photos from a late summer trip to the LeConte Lodge.
09/18/2018
Rainbow Falls Trail is closed April 16 through November 15 from Monday mornings at 7:00 a.m. through Thursday evenings at 5:30 p.m. weekly for trail rehabilitation. The trail will be fully open each week on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and on federal holidays.

The note about Porter's Creek trail needs to be removed. That area of trails never closed and Porters Creek Trail, Brushy Mountain Trail and the upper portion of Trillium Gap weren't affected in any way by the fires of 2016. However, Bullhead Trail that was once a top route to the LeConte Lodge is still closed from the wildfire damage, at this time - there is no public info on when or if it will be reopened.
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