Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte

Trail: Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte

Length: 10.6 miles

Difficulty: Strenuous

Distance from Charlotte NC: 3 hours and 45 minutes

Features: a cave, incredible views of the Smoky Mountains, and a lodge at the very top!

Trail Tip: You can stop at Alum Cave if you are looking for a shorter hike. If you decide to go all the way to Mount LeConte I highly recommend packing extra snacks, this is one trail where I get super hangry if I don’t stop for a protein bar on the way up.

Alum Cave is my all time favorite trail in Tennessee, so much so that I have hiked it three times. The first time I hiked it in the winter, the second time I hiked it in the spring, and this time around I hiked it in the fall. This is what Rikki wanted to do for his birthday, and we are lucky to have friends that all love to hike, so we made a fun group trip out of it. Getting to see the Smoky Mountains in peak leaf season was such a breathtaking experience.

The trail starts out easy to moderate. You hike along a beautiful river and cross it multiple times on man made bridges. The bridges are skinny and can look scary, I am always nervous when we cross them at the beginning, but at the end of the hike they are a breeze. The first fun photo opportunity you reach is called Arch Rock. We saw a lot of people stop the trail here and we were concerned they thought it might be Alum Cave. It is not- keep going!

 Once you pass through Arch Rock the uphill climb to Alum Cave begins. When you reach the long stretch of stairs you are almost there! The cave feels like you are in the desert in another country. The terrain turns to sand. If you are lucky water may be cascading off of the cave creating a beautiful little waterfall. You get a really nice view of the trail from here, it was especially beautiful for us this time with all of the fall color.

 We stopped for a few moments to admire the cave and continued to Mount LeConte. This is where the views become especially epic. You hike along a ridge line and can see views for miles and miles. It keeps the hike from getting boring because there is so much to look at. They have installed wire railings along the rock so you can feel stable and safe when you are hiking. We audibly gasp without fail every time we reach this portion.

You will reach a section of trail where you begin hiking through the woods and the views are obstructed for a mile or two. This is normally where I have to start pushing myself because I am tired and there is nothing to distract me. You do get to hike through some pine trees which is super fun. They smell amazing all year round! This is also when I stop for a snack, I always need a little extra fuel to get to the top.

After hiking through the wooded area you are greeted with fabulous views again. You are not far from LeConte Lodge which sits at the top of the mountain. There are bathrooms here (such a big plus for those of us that cannot hold it for 10.6 miles) and picnic tables where you can stop and have some lunch. We are dying to stay here one day. Last time I checked the waitlist was two years long so we need to get our names on it soon! Here is the link to their website if you want to check it out -

http://www.lecontelodge.com/about/

 You can stop here or continue a little further to Cliff Top Trail. I will put a photo of the view from that lookout point below so you can decide if you want to continue your hike. Two out of the three times I have hiked this trail this lookout has been foggy but there is a cool rock you can sit on and get a nice photo! I do not continue the trail to High Top. I did this the first time and there is not an actual view there, it is just the stopping point on the AllTrails map. For those of you who are new, AllTrails is my favorite app for hiking. You can download trail maps ahead of time and access them offline, this always saves us from getting lost!

I hope you guys add this trail to your bucket list! It is so incredibly beautiful and worth every step. If you have hiked this trail and can think of anything I can add to this post that might be helpful for first timers let me know! Keep exploring friends!