🏕 Campground
LeConte Lodge (Great Smoky Mountains NP)
About This Permit
LeConte Lodge is the only overnight accommodation in Great Smoky Mountains National Park accessible only by trail — sitting at 6,593 feet on the summit of Mt. LeConte, the third-highest peak in the Smokies. The lodge has operated since 1926, offering rustic cabins, kerosene lanterns, meals cooked on a woodstove, and sweeping views above the cloud layer. Reservations open in October for the following season and sell out within hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I book LeConte Lodge?
Reservations open in early October on lecontelodge.com for the following season. The lodge sells out within hours of opening — have your dates chosen and payment ready before the opening time. Some dates release as cancellations throughout the year.
What is included at LeConte Lodge?
Nightly rate includes a cabin bunk (bring a sleeping bag), dinner, and breakfast. The meals are simple but hearty — soup, salad, entrée, and dessert for dinner; pancakes and sausage for breakfast. No electricity, no hot showers, kerosene lanterns only. It is rustic but deeply memorable.
How long is the hike to LeConte Lodge?
The shortest route is Alum Cave Trail (5.4 miles, 2,750 ft gain). Other routes include Trillium Gap (6.7 miles), Rainbow Falls (6.8 miles), and Bullhead (7.2 miles). All are strenuous and all trails converge at the summit. The Alum Cave Trail is especially scenic, passing through a geological bluff formation.
Key Facts
- State
- TN
- Season
- Late March – mid-November
- Sites
- Approximately 50 guests/night (cabins and lodge rooms)
- Access
- Multiple trailheads: Alum Cave (most popular), Trillium Gap, Bullhead, Rainbow Falls
- Reservation Window
- Mt. LeConte summit (6,593 ft)
- Difficulty to reserve
- 4/5(Very hard)
Get an SMS the moment a cancellation opens — we scan every 60 seconds.
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