Mount Le Conte, from an overlook along Newfound Gap - photo Scott Basford

This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported licence. 

Mount Le Conte

2010m, P415m

Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Sevier County, Tennessee, USA

Coordinates: 35.654° N, 83.436° W

Range: Great Smoky Mountains (Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian Mountains)

Names: Mount Le Conte (official). The Cherokee name for the mountain is Walasi’yi (‘Frog-Town’).

Description of the Mountain, including Geology

Mount Le Conte is a prominent block of the Blue Ridge physiographic province, formed from ancient Precambrian Ocoee Supergroup metasediments.  It consists mainly of metagraywacke, slate and schist that were laid down around a billion years ago. These rocks were metamorphosed and uplifted during the long sequence of Appalachian orogenies. The mountain has the characteristically rounded, heavily forested form of the Smokies, lacking any glacial sculpting. Its slopes descend steeply into the Little Pigeon River valley, while long ridges link the main summit with secondary high points including Cliff Tops, Myrtle Point and High Top. Erosion, uplift and dense vegetation combine to give the mountain its classic southern Appalachian appearance. It is the third highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Archaeological, Historical and Cultural Notes

The Smoky Mountains were central to the culture and movement of the Cherokee, who inhabited, traversed, and made use of the ridges and valleys of the region for centuries. European settlement arrived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The mountain was later named for geologist Joseph Le Conte who surveyed it in 1858, though the naming may have resulted from a misunderstanding among early surveyors. During the early conservation period of the 20th century, Mount Le Conte became an important destination for hikers and naturalists. With the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934, it gained prominence as one of the park’s signature high summits.  It has become one of the most frequently climbed mountains in the USA.

Summit Description

The summit area is forested, but along the trail from the lodge to it there is a spectacular viewpoint called Apollo Point, where in 1972 the launch of Apollo 17 in Florida was visible. The summit crest consists of several distinct high points rather than a single exposed peak. High Top (2010m) marks the true high point and is traditionally marked by a stone cairn. Cliff Tops, slightly lower, offers wide vistas west across the Tennessee Valley, while Myrtle Point provides celebrated sunrise views over the eastern Smokies.

The summit plateau supports spruce–fir woodland, producing cool, moist conditions and limiting open viewpoints. Near the upper mountain stands the rustic LeConte Lodge at an altitude of 1940 metres, established in 1925, known for its long-running tradition of hospitality. It is accessible only by foot and is mainly supplied by llama trains.

Popular Routes to the Summit

Six maintained trails lead to Mount Le Conte’s summit, ranging from 9km to 14.5km:

Alum Cave Trail – the most frequently used route, passing landmarks such as Arch Rock and Alum Cave Bluff before following exposed upper ridges.

Rainbow Falls Trail – a steady ascent that includes the tallest single-drop waterfall in the park.

Bullhead Trail – quieter and offering wider views, often used as an alternative descent.

Trillium Gap Trail – notable for passing behind Grotto Falls - used by the llama trains supplying the lodge.

Boulevard Trail – approached from Newfound Gap, following a high, undulating ridge with cooler conditions.

Brushy Mountain Trail – from Greenbrier, joining the Trillium Gap Trail higher up.

Other Items of Interest

Mount Le Conte supports significant tracts of red spruce and Fraser fir forest, characteristic of high-elevation southern Appalachian ecology. The Fraser fir population has been heavily affected by balsam woolly adelgid (an aphid-like insect), though regeneration continues. 

Wildlife includes black bears, white-tailed deer, many salamander species, and high-elevation birds such as the winter wren and Blackburnian warbler. 

Peakbagger website link - here

Article on the mountain by Tom Layton on this website - see here

Note:  this profile has been generated, under human direction, using AI (ChatGPT), and then human-edited.