The Great Smoky Mountains are exceptionally beautiful and the GSMNP is the most visited National Park in America. There is an overabundance of activities here including hiking and camping. For father’s day, we chose to do the Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte. This is an 11 mile out and back difficult trail. It is the most popular trail up to Mount LeConte Lodge.
This trail has it all! It starts out winding through the rainforest abundant in rhodedendron with Alum Cave Creek running by. At 1.3 miles, you arrive at Arch Rock with the stone steps leading you under the natural arch.
From here, you continue on and arrive at Alum Cave Bluffs around mile 2.3. You will be ready to take a seat and enjoy the views for a few minutes after climbing all of those stairs. The bluffs are amazing and I feel like I noticed something different every time I looked up.
From here, the trail becomes more difficult and technical. There are several areas that have are on the edge of the mountain and you are navigating slippery stone. The elevation gain significantly increases at this point as well. The trail is still gorgeous with lots of views as you make your way up to LeConte Lodge. There is a gift shop where you can purchase memorabilia along with snacks and make a formal bathroom stop. The lodge has cabins that you can rent but it books months and maybe even a year in advance. This is where my interest in llamas originated. There are no roads going up to LeConte Lodge so a pack of llamas bring supplies up and waste down the mountain 3x/week. They are referred to as the Navy Seals of llamas. They take Trillium Gap Trail which is a 14 mile round trip but is the least steep. We made a reservation request this fall for next spring but did not get it. We had a snack and took a short rest before making our way back down to the car.
The trail has it all–waterfalls, cave, bluffs, and views. We loved it and our feet and legs felt it the next day. It was a great way to spend Father’s Day with Smalls and Talls!
Smalls and Talls Outdoors 