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Directions to Trailhead:
Starting from Light 8 in Gatlinburg, turn onto Historic Nature Trail /
Trail Description:
If you’re deciding between which trail to take to
If you were doing a loop hike, especially during the summer, I would definitely hike up
To get to the trailhead you will need to walk back to the locked gate blocking an old gravel road just before the turn into the parking lot. You will need to follow this gravel road, which is actually the Old Sugerlands Trail, for approximately 0.4 miles before turning left onto the Bullhead Trail.
Just over a mile into the hike, the trail begins to ascend more rapidly as you climb the Bullhead. Over the next mile or so, you’ll pass many rock cliff faces. At roughly 1.5 miles, you’ll pass two small caves created by overhanging rocks.
| Mt. LeConte (via Bullhead Trail) | ||
| Trail Features: | Panoramic Views | |
| Trail Location: | Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail | |
| Roundtrip Miles: | 14.4 miles | |
| Total Elevation Gain: | 3993 feet | |
| Avg. Elev Gain / Mile: | 555 feet | |
| Highest Elevation: | 6593 feet | |
| Trail Difficulty Rating: | 22.39 (strenuous) | |
| Parking Lot Latitude: | 35.67582 | |
| Parking Lot Longitude: | -83.48527 | |
After climbing the Bullhead, the trail begins to level off and you’ll begin to catch glimpses of some of the surrounding mountains. Almost straight ahead, Balsam Point will come into view. Over the next two miles, the trail will take you up the north face of this mountain before exiting onto the ridge to the right of the mountain (see picture on left).
At nearly 3 miles from the trailhead, you will pass a cairn built by the Civilian Conservation Corps back in the 1930’s. By standing on this cairn you will have some excellent views of the mountains to the east and northeast of you.
You will exit Balsam Point and onto the aforementioned ridge at roughly 5.3 miles. For the next half mile or so, you'll have outstanding views to the north of you. To catch the best view of the mountains to the south, you'll need to look to your right just as the trail begins to level off and exits onto the ridge.
At roughly 6.3 miles, you will reach the junction with the Rainbow Falls Trail. Continue straight here to reach the top of
In another 0.4 miles you'll reach the Alum Cave Trail, which forks in from the right. At this point you'll have your first views of the LeConte Lodge.
A lot people end their hike at the lodge, however, to reach the summit of Mount LeConte, you still need to walk almost another half-mile.
Before reaching the summit, the Trillium Gap Trail will branch off to your left at 6.9 miles. The summit, better known as High Top, will be at 7.2 miles. You’ll know you’ve reached the highest point on Mt. LeConte when you’ve reached the cairn, or pile of rocks,
You won’t have any views up at High Top; however, there are two places on the mountain where you can find outstanding panoramic views.
One is at Myrtle Point. To get to Myrtle Point, you’ll need to walk another 0.4 miles by continuing on the main trail, which has now turned into the Boulevard Trail. About 0.2 miles from High Top, take the fork off the right side of the trail to reach Myrtle Point, which is another 0.2 miles from this junction. Myrtle Point provides nearly 360 degree views and is the best location for sunrises on Mt. LeConte.
The other place to go for outstanding views is known as Cliff Top, which is near the LeConte Lodge. You will have passed two side trails to Cliff Top as you made your way up to High Top. Cliff Top is the best location for sunset views.
One of the unique things about the hike up to Mount LeConte is the lodge and overnight cabins at the top.
Hikers have the option of overnighting in these cabins which can accommodate about 50 guests a night (you'll need to make reservations first). For more information on these cabins, visit the LeConte Lodge web site.
just off the main trail on the right.
At 6593 feet, Mount LeConte is the third highest peak in the Smoky Mountains. However, from its immediate base to its highest peak, Mt. Le Conte is the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States, rising 5301 ft from its base near Gatlinburg.
There is considerable controversy over which member of the LeConte family the mountain was named for. Most people, including the USGS, assume that Joseph LeConte, the famous geologist and charter member of the Sierra Club, is the man for whom the mountain was named. However, that claim has been challenged in recent years. The authors of A Natural History of Mount Le Conte, and the Georgia Encyclopedia, both claim the name honors Joseph’s older brother, John, who was famous as a scientist and as president of the University of California, at Berkeley