The Trail to Mt. LeConte - page 2 |
HIKING ON MT LECONTE - GRANDSTAND OF THE GREAT SMOKIES
View toward Anakeesta Knob (5,988 ft.). Steve is standing at Myrtle Point, LeConte's easternmost peak. Excellent sunrise vistas may be seen from here, following a 3/4 mile hike before dawn. No roads lead to LeConte; access to the mountain and LeConte Lodge is by way of five trails to the summit: Alum Cave Bluff, The Boulevard, BullHead, Rainbow Falls, and Trillium Gap trails. My favorites, Alum Cave Bluff (5.5 miles one way) and The Boulevard (8 miles), are also the most scenic. |
THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL AND THE BOULEVARD TRAIL
On a clear day, Mt. Kephart (6,217 ft.) and the Jumpoff dominate the view from Myrtle Point. The Appalachian Trail follows the high ridge from Newfound Gap (far right). The Boulevard Trail to Mt. LeConte begins near the Jumpoff, and its gruelling path crosses the many peaks of the Anakeesta Ridge in the foreground. The route from Newfound Gap to Mt. LeConte is an eight mile journey via these trails, whose entire route does not venture below 5,000 ft. in elevation. |
LECONTE LODGE Nestled in the Canadian-like Fraser Fir and Red Spruce forest, LeConte Lodge has been in operation as a hikers' lodge since 1925, one year before the establishment of the National Park. A true getaway, it features a quiet environment uncomplicated by modern conveniences - there is no electricity nor telephones to distract the visitor seeking solitude.
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