Located in the middle of the half-million acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park, LeConte Lodge® is the only place where a visitor can sleep overnight on a mountaintop in a snug, permanent structure with hot and hearty meals on tap. It has a capacity of fifty guests per night housed in either rough-hewn cabins or group sleeping lodges. The cozy cabins are furnished with upper and lower double bunk beds, making them ideal for two couples or a family of four to five persons. The lodges sleep from ten to thirteen persons each.
Appropriate for a getaway from the high tech world a mile below, there is no electricity. The mellow glow of kerosene lamps lights your accommodations and we recommend that you pack flashlights in your gear. Propane heaters warm the lodges and cabins. Not too long ago, an up-to-date privy building with flush toilets was a welcome innovation to the mountaintop retreat, but there are no showers. Basins are standard in all lodging for sponge baths and truthfully, no one is anxious to get wet all over, especially since nighttime temperatures take a radical dip, even at the height of summer and the daytime temperature has never reached 80 degrees. The fleecy virgin wool blankets on the beds rate far higher with lodge guests than icy showers ever could!
Outdoor activity creates healthy appetites and the hosts at LeConte Lodge® recognize this. From the coffee or hot chocolate that awaits you upon arrival to the family-style meals served in the lodge dining room, you will be able to eat your fill of tasty and nourishing dishes which appease hunger and restore energy. Lunch is also served to guests staying for more than one night.
You may live by the sun on Mount LeConte -- early to bed, relaxed by your climb, and early to rise to enjoy a renowned Myrtle Point sunrise. Televisions aren't missed. For leisure activities, the lodge office provides reading material, games and comfortable chairs. Then there's always the most popular activity of all; sitting on the deck in rocking chairs, soaking up the view of the mountain tops and distant valleys.
Whether feasting your eyes on a sunset from Cliff Tops, watching a tame boomer squirrel nose around at your feet, enjoying a concert of birds warbling in the bushes or making way for a meandering black bear, your time spent at LeConte Lodge® is natural quality time.
For your LeConte adventure, choose sturdy shoes already broken in. Include more than one change of socks in case of wet feet. Layered, lightweight clothing gives you the flexibility to add or subtract as temperatures fluctuate. A warm sweater or jacket is advisable anytime and a lightweight raincoat or poncho is a must. Nature shows no mercy for those unprepared for her whimsical changes in weather. Summer nights can dip to forty-degree readings while in spring and fall, nights can drop to the teens with snow. A light backpack should be adequate for your necessities, since everything but personal articles are provided at the lodge. Remember to include a snack for the trail and a canteen of water (drinking from streams is discouraged for health reasons), your own hand towel and wash cloth and that flashlight.
Last Minute Reminders
Pack a towel please. We ask that you to bring your own hand towel and washcloth. Packing supplies up and down the mountain continues to be a problem and with your help, we can improve overall service to our guests at LeConte Lodge®.
Send your $9.00 per person if you want to enjoy wine with your dinner. This is for adults only and prepayment is requested.
Pack lightly but don't forget a flashlight and a warm sweater or jacket for those chilly nights on the mountain.
Each year LeConte Lodge® offers an original limited edition T-shirt. The shirts are available in various sizes and colors in both long and short sleeve styles. The shirts are sold exclusively on the mountain. Sorry, no credit cards are accepted.
