Alum Cave Trail (Mt. LeConte)Difficult
Distance (One Way)
Elevation Gain
Trailhead
Location
Trail Description
Alum Cave Trail is a 5 mile trail starting at Newfound Gap Road and intersecting with Rainbow Falls Trail near the summit of Mount LeConte. Incredible views of the Great Smoky Mountains are paired with an incredible cave on this trail, and overall it boasts some pretty spectacular scenery the whole way through.
Along the way to the top you’ll follow the Alum Cave Stream for around a mile. The first landmark you’ll come across is the Arch Rock, a black slate formation that arches over your path. The real attraction is Alum Cave Bluff, a massive overhang that was mined during the Civil War.
The Alum Cave Bluffs are about 2.5 miles into this trail with an elevation change of about 1,200 feet, but if you continue to hike the entire trail (a little over 5 miles one way) you'll find yourself at Mount LeConte.
[+ Read More]Other Mt. LeConte Trails: Boulevard Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5.4 m) Brushy Mountain Trail (Mt. LeConte) (4.9 m) Bullhead Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5.9 m) Rainbow Falls Trail (Mt. LeConte) (6.5 m) Trillium Gap Trail (Grotto Falls, Mt. LeConte) (8.9 m)
Trail Difficulty Scales Explained
Elevation Grade
11%
Very Steep
Paul Petzoldt Scale
10.9
Strenuous
5
10
15
Shenandoah Scale
171
Strenuous
50
100
150
Hiker Tips & Trivia
- Alum Cave Trail is one of the 6 trails to Mount LeConte; it's the shortest, but also one of the steepest.
- Unsurprisingly, employees at LeConte Lodge have become quite familiar and proficient with this route to work. "The current record for leaving the lodge, descending Alum Cave Trail, driving to Gatlinburg, purchasing beer, then returning is 2 hours and 50 minutes. Another Le Conte employee, on an emergency quest for popcorn and a newspaper, descended the trail in 33 minutes, then completed the return trip in only 1 hour and 18 minutes." - James Wedekind, Hiking Trails Of The Smokies
Photo Gallery
Trail Map
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- Abrams Falls Trail (4.2 mi)
- Alum Cave Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5 mi)
- Andrews Bald via Forney Ridge Trail (1.8 mi)
- Anthony Creek Trail (3.5 mi)
- Appalachian Trail Smoky Mountains Segment (71.7 mi)
- Baskins Creek Trail (2.7 mi)
- Baxter Creek Trail (Mt. Sterling) (6.6 mi)
- Big Creek Trail (Mouse Creek Falls, Midnight Hole) (5.8 mi)
- Bote Mountain Trail (6.6 mi)
- Boulevard Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5.4 mi)
- Bradley Fork Trail (7.3 mi)
- Brushy Mountain Trail (Mt. LeConte) (4.9 mi)
- Bullhead Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5.9 mi)
- Cataract Falls (Fighting Creek, Cove Mountain Trail) (0.5 mi)
- Charlies Bunion via Appalachian Trail (4.2 mi)
- Charlies Bunion via Kephart Prong Loop (14.2 mi)
- Chestnut Top Trail (4.3 mi)
- Chimney Tops Trail (2 mi)
- Clingmans Dome Trail (0.6 mi)
- Cove Mountain Trail (8.5 mi)
- Cucumber Gap Trail (2.4 mi)
- Dry Sluice Gap Trail (4.2 mi)
- Eagle Creek Trail (8.9 mi)
- Elkmont Nature Trail (0.8 mi)
- Forney Ridge Trail (5.4 mi)
- Gabes Mountain Trail (Hen Wallow Falls) (6.6 mi)
- Gatlinburg Trail (1.9 mi)
- Grapeyard Ridge Trail (7.6 mi)
- Gregory Bald Trail (Gregory Bald) (7.3 mi)
- Gregory Ridge Trail (Gregory Bald) (5 mi)
- Grotto Falls (Trillium Gap Trail) (1.4 mi)
- Huskey Gap Trail (4.1 mi)
- Jakes Creek Trail (3.3 mi)
- Kephart Prong Trail (2 mi)
- Laurel Falls Trail (4 mi)
- Little Greenbrier Trail (4.3 mi)
- Little River Trail (6.1 mi)
- Lower Mt. Cammerer Trail (7.4 mi)
- Lumber Ridge Trail (4.1 mi)
- Lynn Camp Prong Trail (3.7 mi)
- Maddron Bald Trail (Albright Grove) (7.3 mi)
- Meigs Creek Trail (3.5 mi)
- Meigs Mountain Trail (6 mi)
- Middle Prong Trail (Indian Flat Falls) (4.1 mi)
- Miry Ridge Trail (5 mi)
- Mt. Cammerer Trail via Low Gap + AT (5.6 mi)
- Mt. Sterling Ridge Trail (5.3 mi)
- Newfound Gap to Clingmans Dome (7.7 mi)
- Noland Creek Trail (9.2 mi)
- Old Settlers Trail (15.8 mi)
- Old Sugarlands Trail (3.9 mi)
- Panther Creek Trail (2.3 mi)
- Porters Creek Trail (Fern Branch Falls) (3.7 mi)
- Rainbow Falls Trail (Mt. LeConte) (6.5 mi)
- Ramsey Cascades Trail (4 mi)
- Rich Mountain Loop (8.7 mi)
- Russell Field Trail (3.5 mi)
- Spence/Russell Field Loop (13.2 mi)
- Spruce Flats Falls Trail (Buckeye) (1.8 mi)
- Swallow Fork Trail (4 mi)
- Sweat Heifer Creek Trail (3.7 mi)
- Thunderhead Mountain (Rocky Top) (6.6 mi)
- Trillium Gap Trail (Grotto Falls, Mt. LeConte) (8.9 mi)
The above list of hiking trails in the Smokies is incomplete and constantly being updated. If you have information or photos you would like to contribute, please contact caroline@pigeonforge.com.
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