ATTENTION ALL VISITORS!
NEW PARKING / SHUTTLE INFORMATION!
Beginning March 1, 2023, vehicles parked at any of Mt. LeConte’s trailheads must display a prepaid parking tag, as required by Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Visitors to Mt. LeConte will also have the option of parking in Gatlinburg, and arranging for a shuttle to and from the trailhead. Whether you are an overnight guest or a day hiker, please refer to this page when planning a future visit to LeConte Lodge. Refunds will not be issued to lodge guests with reservations who fail to procure a permissible parking space or miss a shuttle ride. Lodge guests are still expected to arrive at the lodge on time for check-in and meal service.
Parking at Trailheads
For detailed information regarding GSMNP’s parking tag policies and requirements, as well as advance purchasing information, please visit the National Park’s website.
- All trailhead parking is first-come first-served. A reservation at LeConte Lodge does NOT guarantee guests a trailhead parking space.
- Roadside parking is no longer permitted, as GSMNP has installed fences and boulders to prevent out-of-bounds parking. Vehicles disregarding these changes will be issued warnings or citations by the NPS, or towed at the owner’s expense.
- Single day parking tags expire at 11:59 PM the day of issuance. Overnight guests of the lodge will need to purchase consecutive single day parking tags at minimum to meet the requirements (2 x $5.00 = $10.00). This covers both the ascending and descending days of the trip. Overnight guests not wanting to purchase a weekly or annual parking tag must purchase their consecutive single day tags in advance through recreation.gov. Single passes sold at in-person sales locations around the national park are only issued for the current day, not the subsequent or later date.
- Guests staying multiple consecutive nights at the lodge will need to purchase a weekly ($15.00) or annual ($40.00) parking tag. Weekly or annual passes can be purchased in advance through recreation.gov or from a sales location inside the national park.
- Currently the NPS is not permitting overnight parking at Sugarlands Visitor Center, only day time use.
Shuttles:
Shuttle companies will provide transportation services in and around the national park (for a fee), including access to and from some of Mt. LeConte’s most popular trailheads. You can view a list of authorized shuttle providers on the National Park Service’s website.
Overnight Parking in Gatlinburg
Visitors seeking an alternative to parking at GSMNP trailheads have the option of parking in Gatlinburg (for a fee), in addition to making separate carpool or shuttle service arrangements from town. This parking lot is operated by Ober Mountain, and is not affiliated with LeConte Lodge or the National Park Service. Most shuttle companies will include stops at this lot.
Location:
309 Long Branch Road, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
(West of the Ober Mountain tram station)
Price:
$10.00 per vehicle/per night
NOTICE: All vehicles parked overnight at this location MUST display a unique LeConte Lodge Parking Pass. This is NOT the same as the parking tag required by the National Park. Vehicles parked overnight without a LeConte Lodge Parking Pass on display risk being towed. This parking pass must be printed in advance of your stay, either from home or a local library, as there is no way to print this parking pass at the Ober Mountain lot. Most shuttle companies providing services to and from this lot will have pre-printed LeConte Lodge Parking Passes to distribute for anyone considering this option last minute. Please understand a shuttle’s supply of passes may be limited, so visitors are encouraged to print and possess their own parking pass in advance. Download a printable PDF of the LeConte Lodge Parking Pass here.
Lodge guests looking to park their vehicles at a trailhead should consider printing this unique LeConte Lodge Parking Pass as well. If an overnight guest arrives at a trailhead to find no available parking, having this parking pass allows for use of the Ober Mountain lot as a possible backup plan unless the lot is already full depending on the time of day.