Reviews
EXCELLENT196 reviews on
mike b2022-08-31Great time 2nd year of hiking to the Lodge both times doing the Alum Cave trail. Room was great, food was good and this year got to eat in the dining hall, could not do last year due to COVID rules. Highly recommend doing this at least once. Be sure and visit Cliff tops for sunset.
BradenI2022-08-14August visit - excellent Clean room, great price, close to park entrance. Check in person very friendly and processed our check in and check out quickly. Will be back soon!I have been going to this hotel now over 50 years. Plan to do-so for all of my future visits to Gatlinburg.
ArtPhemister2022-06-29Fantastic hike and stay at LeConte Lodge We began our hike at the Alum Cave Trailhead in the pouring rain…a rather inauspicious beginning. While the rain did stop, the clouds and fog moved in and allowed for no views whatsoever. In spite of this start, nature provides, and the lower temperatures and fog made everything magical. The 5 mile hike and on the Alum Cave Trail is the shortest, but rather steep climb to the top of Mount LevConte at 6,593 feet. With the rain much of the trail was slippery, so we took our time putting safety first.Our arrival at LeConte Ledge was a welcome sight and we were warmly greeted by, Ava, who checked us in and gave a tour of the lodge and it’s amenities. They even have flush toilets! We were in cabin 4 which was comfortable and cozy. Even though it was at the end of June we were wet and socked in by a cool, blowing fog. The propane heater warmed the cabin and dried our wet clothes quickly. In the meantime, we went down to the dining room for coffee and hot chocolate while we warmed up and dried out. We met friendly fellow hikers and told stories of our climb to the top.We returned to our room for a brief rest before dinner at 6:00. Dinner was very generous with roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, stewed apples, half a peach, cornbread, chocolate chip cookies for desert. Wow, what a feast after a long climb! The staff was great making sure everyone as fully satisfied. The beds in the cabin were clean and comfortable with plenty of blankets for the cool night air. We had hoped for a sunrise from Myrtle Point, but were disappointed as we were still socked in. Breakfast was also great with pancakes, grits, scrambled eggs, biscuits, Canadian bacon, and apple butter with coffee or hot chocolate. What a way to start the day!By this time the fog was starting to clear and we had great views on the hike down. We Mets lots of super, nice hikers and enjoyed our time at LeConte Lodge very much. I can’t say enough nice things about the staff.
Traveler8N2022-03-20Great views everywhere Hiked up there even though the lodge was closed, but still worth the hike, just make sure to give yourself enough time to get back before the sun goes down so start early. They put a notice at the trailhead stating it was closed, likely just for the season.The hike up there has views every which way you look. So if you bring a camera make sure to have a lot of memory on your card.
scbeaches2021-08-23unique backcountry experience we took the alum cave trail up and while strenuous it was not as difficult as described. checkin begins at noon; we arrived an hour early and ate our own lunch at the picnic tables. bag lunches for sale are edible if you're particularly hungry (beef stick, bagel w cream cheese, choc chip bar or oreos, gatorade packet, trail mix). we bought last year's t-shirt ($5ea, limited sizes) and they have the basic necessities for sale. hot choc, coffee, lemonade were available 2-5pm (not the tastiest). we walked around the summit- myrtle point, cliff tops, high top etc. we used our bucket to get hot water and take a sponge bath. dinner (veggie- beans, mashed potato, green beans, apples, peach) was delivered at 6p to our cabin and the "bottomless wine" involved 3 rounds of offerings (moscato, chard, cab) during dinner. seconds were offered. food was delivered in disposable ?recyclable takeout containers. they also gave each cabin a pitcher of water. we then went to cliff tops for sunset- beautiful. we retired early and put our food in the bear containers in the dining hall so the mice and bears would stay away from our cabins. several guests saw bears on the hike up. deer enjoyed walking around the campus. the next am breakfast (biscuit, grits, eggs, pancakes) was delivered to cabins at 8am and we headed out by 9am. staff were incredibly polite, we enjoyed the camaraderie of the guests, covid protocols were generally adhered to (masking inside buildings, staff masked, guests distanced, no group dining). food was mostly canned and was not the tastiest but you're there for the views and the communing with nature!!
VaBeneSRQ2021-08-12Amazing Overnight! It took a couple of years of the lottery to get a cabin which was assigned for July 2021 for 4 people-! On our assigned day, we make the hike up and down the next day. Just a word of caution--the 5.2 mile hike is a challenge. I am in good shape and I was challenged by the last 2.7 miles which is all up hill--matter of fact the entire hike is constant uphill--but the top 2.7 miles is tougher than the first half of the hike. Once there, the reward is worth it. We had a 4-person cabin which was most basic but beds were very comfortable, and made up with sheets and a Hudson Bay blanket. To my surprise, we also had a small, wall-mounted propane heater for night which was perfect. Our cabin had a nice deck. Unfortunately, the lodge was still under Covid precautions which meant we could not assemble or use the main dining room. So all the food was delivered to each cabin. This worked fine and as it was a nice afternoon, most of us staying there congregated at some outside picnic tables. Dinner was good and hit the spot! Also, the wine was a nice touch. Breakfast was also good and served in the same matter. Staff was great and helpful. All of us staying that night watched a beautify sunset for the mountain peak which is a short walk down a trail for the lodge. We all missed having the opportunity to gather as a collective group for meals in the dining hall. After breakfast, it was down the hill which was much easier and quicker than coming up. It is simply a great experience and not to be missed, but you must get yourself into the lottery. Also, the parking can be a challenge in the summer given the popularity of this trail.mike b2021-08-11Great Time Hiked up on Friday Aug 6, and stayed in Cabin 7, had a great time well worth the hike, crew was wonderful, food was great. it was a bucket list trip for sure. , looking forward to getting a reservation for next year
Susan T2021-07-25Worth the hike! What an amazing experience. The staff are outstanding, I have never observed people working so hard and a true desire to accommodate their guests. Both dinner and breakfast were served hot with water, wine with dinner and coffee with breakfast. I thought both meals were incredibly satisfying. The cabins had comfortable beds, wool blankets, and heaters. I can’t wait to go again!!
