
Distance (One Way)
Elevation Gain
Trailhead
Location
Trail Description
Trillium Gap Trail is one of the hiking trails in the Smoky Mountains leading to Mt. LeConte. It is also the trail to Grotto Falls. Starting at the true trailhead in Cherokee Orchard, the trail itself is 8.8 miles long, 3.4 to Grotto Falls, and 8.9 to get all the way to Mt. LeConte. It is the second longest route to reach LeConte Lodge, with the longest being Brushy Mountain Trail (9.1 miles to LeConte).
Most hikers looking to reach the waterfall bypass the first part of the trail and park off Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail in a lot labelled Grotto Falls Parking. From this trailhead you'll reach the waterfall in 1.4 miles and Mount LeConte in 6.7.
Trillium Gap Trail is the longest trail to reach Mount LeConte, and it is probably the least steep of all 6 trails. Most of the hike to the summit is enjoyable for a well seasoned hiker who can handle a steady incline. However, the last couple of miles are fairly strenuous. The trail gets very rocky with several steep switchbacks - especially in the last 3.6 miles to the lodge.
At 5.3 miles you will reach what appears to be a 4 way trail intersection. To the right is the remaining 3.6 miles of Trillium Gap Trail to LeConte Lodge. Straight ahead is the first 4.5 miles of Brushy Mountain Trail. If you continued all the way down in this direction you would find yourself in the first mile of Porters Creek Trail near Greenbrier Cove. To the left is the last 0.4 of a mile of Brushy Mountain Trail, AKA, the spur trail to the summit of Brushy Mountain. If you are up for a quick and steep detour, the small clearing at the summit of Brushy Mountain yields some of the most underrated views in the Smokies.
[+ Read More]Trillium Gap Trail (Grotto Falls, Mt. LeConte) Elevation Profile

Mt. LeConte Trails
Other ways to reach Mt. LeConte: Alum Cave Trail (Mt. LeConte) (5 m) 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) (6.6 m)
Trail Difficulty Scales Explained
Elevation Grade
8%
Fairly Steep
Paul Petzoldt Scale
16.6
Strenuous
5
10
15
Shenandoah Scale
262
Very Strenuous
50
100
150
Hiker Tips & Trivia
- "Don't be surprised if you run into a pack train of llamas along the stretch between Trillium Gap and the summit. This section of trail is traveled three times a week by llama trains as they transport supplies to the LeConte Lodge." - HikingInTheSmokys.com
Photo Gallery (18)













Trail Map
More Hikes
- Abrams Falls Trail (4.2 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)
- 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)
- Hannah Mountain Trail (9.5 mi)
- Hatcher Mountain Trail (2.6 mi)
- Huskey Gap Trail (4.1 mi)
- Jakes Creek Trail (3.3 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 (7.7 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)
- 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)
- Russell Field Trail (3.5 mi)
- Schoolhouse Gap Trail (Whiteoak Sink) (2.1 mi)
- Spence/Russell Field Loop (13.2 mi)
- Spruce Flats Falls Trail (Buckeye) (1 mi)
- Swallow Fork Trail (4 mi)
- Sweat Heifer Creek Trail (3.7 mi)
- Thunderhead Mountain (Rocky Top) (6.1 mi)
- Trillium Gap Trail (Grotto Falls, Mt. LeConte) (8.9 mi)
- Turkeypen Ridge Trail (3.6 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]