Leconte Lodge

A great hidden gem. Yes you have to hike to get to it. No there is no electricity. But wow. The views are amazing. The other visitors will be friendly because you all share something. It books up a year in advance so be ready. Follow them on their blog
for dates. My son and I do this annually and hope to continue it. This past trip, as well as a few times in the past, we met people in their 70’s or older! Just leave early and pace yourself.
Whichever trail you decide, read about it. There are so many things to look for along the way. Many people just run up the mountain and never stop to see the amazing views. Also once you get close it smells absolutely amazing, like walking through the Christmas tree farm. If you have «oak or ragweed» allergies they will leave you at about 6000ft. Best breathing you will have.

UH-​MAZING!!! This place is not for everyone, but let me tell you what, it’s for those who are adventurous, like to hike and be one with nature.
I heard about this place from a co-​worker who hiked in and stayed at the lodge several years back, and ever since then it’s been on my bucket list.
My husband isn’t into hiking so it was me and a girlfriend who went after being called up when there was a cancellation.
It’s all that I expected, aside from the hike being a little more challenging than I ever imagined. We took Rainbow Falls trail up and it’s not for the faint at heart. It’s 6.6 miles straight up, and the last mile you’re more than ready to be at the top.
We took Bullhead down and while it was a bit easier it still wasn’t for beginner hikers.
A stay at LeConte Lodge is what I call an ‘experience’. No electricity, showers or bathrooms in your cabin, but for most up there, you could really care less.
It’s the challenge of getting there and taking in the big sky, sunsets, and sunrise. I was surprised how good the meals made by the staff were, but not surprised at just how awesome the people on the mountain are.
Everyone from the staff, to the other guests could NOT have been any nicer. We made new friends and had the best time ever.
I hope to go back at least every other year!
P. S. they serve a bottomless glass of wine at dinner but it’s only about an hour long. Most everyone that traveled up packed in some sort of booze. So, if that’s your thing, make room in your pack! People even took cocktails on the hike up to see the sunset!

I am going to do my best to put into words how totally amazing this place is. Le Conte is not just a place to stay or a destination but an experience that is not to be forgotten. For anyone who does not know what this place is I would suggest you look up their website for the full info… but in a nutshell… you pay about 150 $ a person. Per night. To sleep in a cabin with no electricity or running water. And you have to HIKE there and the shortest hike is 6.5 miles. Going up a hill the whole way pretty much. And you wonder if there are bears. And you sleep in bunk beds. And then you have to hike BACK down when you leave and if you pick a different route it may be 7 miles (which is what we did). And you will NEVER forget how awesome it all was.
Getting a reservation is a process and they do a lottery system to even get the ability to then get a room. I got on a wait list as I missed the lottery window and basically said… we will take ANY night during this three week period. I got notice that we got a Tues night for 2 people. We planned everything else about our trip around this one night.
Once you get to the park you park your car at one of the trailheads depending on what trail you want to hike up. There are 5 total trails but the most popular one (Alum Cave) is closed for a while now for renovations. We took Rainbow Falls up at 6.5 miles. It took us a little under four hours to get to the lodge as we stopped for lunch and breaks. Get to the trailhead EARLY as the spots fill up. We get to the lodge and are checked in by one the awesome staff. Shown to our cabin and given our bucket for water and the bathroom key on a big stick. There is hot cocoa and chocolate in the dining hall till 5. Dinner was at 6. My boyfriend and I wandered around some, took pictures, talked to a few of the other guests as they came into camp. Dinner was at 6. You are seated at a table to folks from the cabins nearest to you. Had a great table full of couples… we were all from different states. Dinner is served family style… big plates of food! After dinner you can hang out… we went to the office area and played board games and talked to folks. Bedtime is pretty much when the sun goes down (remember the no electricity part??). Getting up to use the bathroom in the dark is something let me tell you. Oh and a mouse got in bed with me about 6:30 am. Again, remember you are IN THE MOUNTAINS. Things happen!
Breakfast is at 8. Again served family style and you sit with the same folks from the night before. Huge plates of yummy food to get you fueled for your hike back down if you only stayed one night. You can also buy a 10 $ sack lunch to take down with you and refill water bottles and such. We took the 7 mile Bullshead Trail back down.
I had a lot of fun during my over week long TN vacation. Le Conte was the HIGHLIGHT of the trip and the staff were beyond wonderful. I would highly recommend this place!!!

For my 500^th review, I’ve been saving a place that’s pretty unique, cool and special. Just browsing a Family Fun magazine, there was an article on LeConte. Ever have one of those experiences where you were like «Wow! Where am I and what just happened?» An almost life changing experience or journey? This may be that destination for you. It was for me.
There are multiple trails that lead to the summit of Leconte. You can check their website for trail names and distances and pick the way up and down that best suits you. And yes it is at the summit! After a long day of hiking my friend and I checked into our mini cabin. Large bunk beds with wool blankets and a more than sufficient heater. At night you can hear the wind howling and rushing by the cabins. The package includes dinner and breakfast. You can pay a little extra for all you can drink wine with dinner; well worth it for a good warm up. The food is served family style, sitting together with other people/​families. The food also happens to be really, really good home cooking. Later you can go to the common area in another cabin and read or play games. You are encouraged to see the sunset and sunrise, as the views are spectacular; you can see for miles! Yes the toilet seats in the restrooms were freezing at night; just another part of the adventure. The people that run LeConte really make you feel pampered and cared for, even though in some ways you are «roughing it» a little bit. All that’s left is a beautifully scenic hike back down the mountain and the car ride home with extremely sore legs!
No it’s not an easy place to get to — in fact it can be quite challenging but it’s a great place to reflect, think about life and how big this world we live in is…

I love this place. Hubs and I went here for our anniversary trip. You hike to the lodge that has no power and is very rustic. You sleep in a cabin and eat your meals in a large dining hall with other guests. The staff is so friendly and the food is so delicious.
This is such a great place for those looking for an adventure. This place books up fast so dial like crazy on Oct. 1 to get your reservation. Words really can’t describe this place, it’s an experience you have to try for yourself.