FAQs: Facilities

The raised porches of the multi-room lodge afford views out over the Tennessee Valley to the north. The single room cabins afford various views overlooking camp but are lower and are mostly forested from looking outward.

If you choose to stay in one of our lodges, you and your party will have a private bedroom to yourselves. You don’t have to worry about rooming with strangers as we understand that every party needs their own privacy. We like to say it’s like sharing a house with strangers, where every party has their own room but shares a common living area. If you choose to book one of our cabins, you and your party will have a small, private cabin to yourselves.

The cozy one-room cabins are furnished with upper and lower double bunk (full sized) beds, making them ideal for two couples or a family of four. Three of the cabins also have a single bed to accommodate parties of five persons. The two-bedroom lodge has two bedrooms with double bunk beds in each bedroom and two single beds in the common room. The two three-bedroom lodges have three bedrooms each with double bunk beds in each bedroom. One lodge has a single bed in the common room and the other has a single bed in one of the bedrooms.

Please be aware that there is no electricity for guests. Guests wanting to sustain their personal electronic devices are encouraged to bring their own small, portable, non-noise making chargers.

All units are equipped with:

• Kerosene lanterns for light
• Propane heaters for heat
• Wash basin and bucket for sponge baths
• Linens (sheets, blankets, pillows, and pillowcases)
• Table and chair
• Mirror
• Hooks for backpacks
• Covered porches with rocking chairs to enjoy the breathtaking view of the Smokies!

To make packing easier, here is a list of items that are essential to make your stay at LeConte Lodge more enjoyable:

• Towel, hand towel, and/or washcloth for a sponge bath
  • (Wash basin and soap are provided)
• Flashlight (we recommend an actual flashlight – as your cellphone battery may run out)
• Rain gear
• Layered clothing (nights can drop into the 30’s even in summer)
• Sturdy shoes for hiking
• Snacks for hike up and down
• Water, water, water!
• Personal items
• Cash, check, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or Discover only) for souvenir items

There is safe a potable drinking water available at the lodge during operating season only. There is a cold-water spigot located near the office, and warm water available outside the kitchen. All spigots and holding tanks are drained for the winter off-season, so day hikers and visitors staying at the National Park Service backcountry shelter must utilize a natural spring located NE of the lodge along Trillium Gap Trail. Boil and/or treat all water collected before consumption.

We will not put strangers in the same room with you. The cabins and lodge rooms are booked just for your party. There is an additional empty bed fee associated with booking as one or two.

Regardless of which cabin you are lodging in, the restrooms are only a short walk from each of the cabins (100-300 feet depending on cabin assignment); however, be sure to bring a flashlight with you as there is no electricity in the restroom facilities!

Restrooms require a key that is inside each cabin. Our flush toilets are only available to paying overnight guests with reservations and staff during the operating season. There is no electricity in the restroom facilities. Our facilities are like an outhouse, but the toilets do flush. A primitive pit privy is available for day hikers 24/7 year-round.

There are NO SHOWERS; however, there is a hot water spigot where guests can fill the bucket provided in their cabin to take a sponge bath if bathing is desired.

Absolutely no smoking is allowed in any of the buildings or on any of the porches. Please keep in mind that you are in a remote wilderness area and all buildings are made of wood. The lodge has limited firefighting capabilities, so please exercise extreme caution when extinguishing cigarettes, cigars, and pipes – especially during dry and/or windy weather conditions. In addition, campfires are not permitted on Mount LeConte.

The National Park Service prohibits the use of all campfires anywhere on Mount LeConte which includes both at the lodge and the backcountry shelter.

The National Park Service takes the lead and oversees all emergency medical situations. Depending on the location and severity of the emergency, lodge personnel may be the first to respond and arrive on scene before the National Park Service. Not to worry – lodge personnel are trained in basic first aid, CPR, AED, as well as search and rescue annually.