Mount LeConte, Tennessee, United States

5Sarah M 5:00 PM Jul 8, 2021

Definitely Worth it!
Our group of eight hiked from the Alum Cave Trailhead to Mount Leconte and back in 8 1/2 hours. Our party had five children (ages 7,9,9,10, and 14) and 3 adult women. I would consider the adults moderately fit and 2 of the youngest children were non-hikers. Our final mileage was around 11.5 miles. We stopped for short breaks often and ate a picnic lunch at the lodge. The trail was steep in places but well marked and maintained. The terrain varied quite a bit and often looked worse than it actually was. There are several stretches in slippery or dangerous spots with cable rails to hold onto. At no time did we feel our children were in an unsafe situation. We had read reviews with varying degrees of concern for children’s safety and weren’t sure what to expect. Our kids knew to stay with the group and stay on the trail at all times. Any school aged kid who can listen and follow instructions can do this! I’m not recommending it, but one of our 9 year olds wore Crocs with no socks or heel strap for the entire hike. We were well prepared with our own snacks, packs and water for the hike up. There is cold potable water available for refilling into your own container at the lodge. The lodge also sold a few souvenirs, supplies, and snacks. A sack lunch was $12. There was no bottled water available, but you could buy a Gatorade packet to add to your own container. Be sure to take the additional half mile Cliff Tops loop from the lodge for more incredible views of the mountains. None of the terrain was extremely challenging in itself, but the length and altitude combined with our fatigue made it strenuous. At the end of the day, we were all feeling a huge sense of accomplishment in addition to sore feet and legs. This experience and the life lessons of determination and perseverance were priceless!

5Sunshine & Wine 5:00 PM Oct 26, 2020

Amazing, but pretty difficult hike to the top
Since COVID began I have spent a lot of time just sitting around the house, so this was a really hard hike for me. It took us 10 hours to hike from the bottom of the Alum Cave trail all the way up to Mt Leconte Lodge, and then back down (with plenty of stops and a lunch break at the top). Honestly, it isn't really worth hiking past the Alum Bluffs unless you really love hiking or just want to say that you went to the top. The views pretty much stop at the bluffs and then it's all hiking through the woods from there on up, with the occasional opening where you can see the mountain tops. There are also no views at the lodge and the cafe there is closed to day hikers due to COVID, so make sure you bring your own food if you're going all the way up!