LeConte Lodge

There’s no road to the lodge. Five hiking routes reach it, including Alum Cave, the Boulevard, Bullhead, Rainbow Falls and Trillium Gap; each is about 5 to 8 miles one way. Overnight stays require advance reservations. The lodge generally operates from mid-March into November, with exact dates varying by year.

You don’t need an overnight reservation to visit. During the operating season, day hikers can buy lunch, baked goods and snacks at the lodge. Potable water is also available then. The trek is still substantial, so treat this as a destination hike rather than a quick roadside stop.

The compound has seven one-room cabins and three larger, multi-room lodges, with space for up to 60 guests a night. Cabins have bunk beds, kerosene lanterns, propane heaters and a wash basin with a bucket. There’s no guest electricity or shower, and the stay is deliberately rustic.

Paul Adams began a tent camp here in 1925, when he hosted visitors connected to the campaign for a national park. Jack Huff started building the lodge in 1926, and the refuge predates Great Smoky Mountains National Park, established in 1934. From 1976 to 1989, pack llamas carried weekly provisions up the mountain.

The raised porches of the larger lodges look north over the Tennessee Valley; the lower cabins mostly face forest. For broader views, walk to nearby Cliff Tops for sunset or Myrtle Point for sunrise. The views depend on mountain weather, so leave room for clouds to change the scene.