
Distance (One Way)
Elevation Gain
Trailhead
Location
Trail Description
Bullhead Trail to Mt LeConte is a 6.9 mile hike. Beginning at Cherokee Orchard in the Rainbow Falls trailhead parking lot, you can find the trailhead by heading down Old Sugarlands Trail for 0.4 miles. Bullhead Trail to Mt LeConte will begin on your left.
Bullhead Trail (often spelled Bull Head) is one of the less popular routes to Mt. LeConte. The hike to LeConte Lodge is 6.9 miles (0.4 of which are on Old Sugarlands, 0.6 on Rainbow Falls) and is often paired with Rainbow Falls as a 13.4 mile loop hike.
If you're hiking this trail to Mount LeConte, you'll find The Pulpit at mile 2.6 (3.3 if you're hiking back from LeConte). When this trail was constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, they constructed this large stone table. According to the book Hiking Trails of the Smokies, "nobody told them to do it", but apparently somebody thought it would be a good idea. On a clear day, one can see English Mountain to the northeast and Sugarland Mountain to the southeast.
"The Pulpit is tall enough for those who stand on it to get a good look northward down into LeConte Creek Valley. It's wide enough for two or three to sit on. So it's an excellent place to stop for lunch or a snack." - Carson Brewer, Hiking Trails of the Smokies
Note: In recent years, it appears that hikers have added a bunch of rocks to the Pulpit and made it very difficult to stand/sit on. Please do not add rocks to the Pulpit. It is a historical structure that should be treated with respect. It is not a rock cairn.
To reach the trailhead, take Historic Nature Trail/Airport Road (light #8) in Gatlinburg. This road soon becomes Cherokee Orchard Road and you’ll cross the boundary to the park at 0.9 of a mile. Head to the right from the Rainbow Falls parking area onto Old Sugarlands Trail and you'll find the intersection at 0.4 miles.
Bullhead Trail goes through a part of the park that was heavily affected by the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires. In certain areas you'll see a great deal of burnt trees cascading down the sides of the trail, revealing clear views of the surrounding mountains.
[+ Read More]Bullhead Trail (Mt. LeConte) Elevation Profile

Trail Difficulty Scales Explained
Elevation Grade
13%
Very Steep
Paul Petzoldt Scale
13.9
Strenuous
5
10
15
Shenandoah Scale
217
Very Strenuous
50
100
150
Hiker Tips & Trivia
- This is a great downhill hike to pair with Rainbow Falls or Trillium Gap if you're looking for a loop hike to Mount LeConte
- The earliest European settlers in the Smoky Mountain area called Mount LeConte the Bull Head due to its appearance on the western side of the massif. In 1860 Arnold Guyot wrote in an essay that the central peak of the massif (now known as High Top) had been designated as Mount Le Conte, in recognition of John Le Conte, a physics professor who assisted in measuring the height Clingman's Dome. Eventually the name was applied to the entire massif, and "the Bull Head" became the name of this minor western peak.
Photo Gallery (16)












Trail Map
Read More
Gatlinburg Fire 2016: How It Happened & the Aftermath
The Gatlinburg fire of 2016 began in late November - the day before Thanksgiving - on Chimney Tops Trail in a period of extreme drought. After 5 days of the fire spreading around the northern part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ...
Read This PostMt. LeConte Hikes: 6 Trails To Reach The Summit
Mt. LeConte is the third highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a popular hiking destination. There are actually 6 trails suitable for a Mt LeConte hike, and they all vary in difficulty, length, and features along the w...
Read This PostBullhead Trail: 5.9 Miles Downhill From LeConte Lodge
Bullhead Trail is one of the least trafficked of the 6 routes to LeConte Lodge. The 5.9 mile trail zigzags south of the summit of Balsam Point with an array of switchbacks around the mountain's slopes. It is frequently combined with Rainbow...
Read This PostLeConte Lodge: The Inn Over A Mile In The Sky
LeConte Lodge is a small resort on top of Mount LeConte, the mountain with the tallest face east of the Mississippi river. It was established in 1925 and predates the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At 6,593 feet above ...
Read This PostTrail Etiquette For Hikers In The Great Smokies
Trail etiquette in the Great Smoky Mountains is an important part of experiencing the national park. When you follow the rules - both the actual rules and the understood ones - you can enjoy your time in the Smokies while also leaving room ...
Read This PostGatlinburg Hiking Trails
There are a handful of Gatlinburg hiking trails that are easy to reach from the parkway. If you're visiting this popular mountain town, plan for a day of your trip to go explore the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. If you're a beginner,...
Read This Post- Abrams Falls Trail (4.2 mi)
- Ace Gap Trail (5.4 mi)
- Albright Grove Loop Trail (0.7 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) (6.2 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)
- Cooper Road Trail (10.5 mi)
- Cove Mountain Trail (8.5 mi)
- Crooked Arm Ridge Trail (2.2 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)
- Finley Cane Trail (2.8 mi)
- Forney Ridge Trail (5.4 mi)
- Gabes Mountain Trail (Hen Wallow Falls) (6.6 mi)
- Gatlinburg Trail (1.9 mi)
- Goldmine Trail (0.8 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)
- Hannah Mountain Trail (9.5 mi)
- Hatcher Mountain Trail (2.6 mi)
- Huskey Gap Trail (4.1 mi)
- Indian Grave Gap Trail (3.7 mi)
- Jakes Creek Trail (3.7 mi)
- Kephart Prong Trail (2 mi)
- Laurel Falls Trail (4 mi)
- Lead Cove Trail (1.8 mi)
- Little Bottoms Trail (2.3 mi)
- Little Brier Gap Trail (Walker Sisters Cabin) (1.4 mi)
- Little Greenbrier Trail (4.3 mi)
- Little River Trail (6.1 mi)
- Low Gap Trail (5.4 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)
- Metcalf Bottoms Trail (0.7 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 (7.9 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)
- Rabbit Creek Trail (7.8 mi)
- Rainbow Falls Trail (Mt. LeConte) (6.6 mi)
- Ramsey Cascades Trail (4 mi)
- Rich Mountain Loop (8.7 mi)
- Roundtop Trail (7.5 mi)
- Russell Field Trail (3.5 mi)
- Schoolhouse Gap Trail (Whiteoak Sink) (2.1 mi)
- Shuckstack Fire Tower via the AT (3.5 mi)
- Spence/Russell Field Loop (13.7 mi)
- Spruce Flats Falls Trail (Buckeye) (1 mi)
- Sugarland Mountain Trail (11.9 mi)
- Swallow Fork Trail (4 mi)
- Sweat Heifer Creek Trail (3.7 mi)
- The Jump Off (Boulevard Trail) (3.3 mi)
- Thunderhead Mountain (Rocky Top) (6.1 mi)
- Trillium Gap Trail (Grotto Falls, Mt. LeConte) (8.9 mi)
- Turkeypen Ridge Trail (3.6 mi)
- Twentymile Loop Trail (2.9 mi)
- Twentymile Trail (5 mi)
- Whiteoak Sink via Schoolhouse Gap Trail (2.3 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 [email protected].