Mount LeConte Lodge - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Gatlinburg, TN
April 11-14, 2019
Co-Trip Leaders: Cindy Durr and Bette Hanna
Type of Trip: Hiking
Trip Cost/Deposit: $370/$185
Cancellation Date and full payment: March 1, 2019
Wilderness Level: 3 - more than 2 hours away from emergency response
Trip Difficulty: Rugged: 6-8 miles each way with up to 4000 ft. elevation gain
Group Size: 10 Maximum/Minimum
Adults Only
Join us for a wonderful weekend trip to the Smoky Mountain National Park with our annual hike up to the Mt LeConte Lodge for an overnight stay. We will leave Thursday morning from Indianapolis and drive to Gatlinburg, where we will stay at a hotel at the edge of the park. Friday morning we will take one of 5 trails up to the Lodge where we have a 2 Bedroom cabin reserved for the 10 of us. We are hoping to take Trillium up to be able to see the llama caravan which brings all of the food and supplies to the lodge three times weekly. After hiking down the mountain Saturday morning, we will have a provided picnic lunch before spending the afternoon in the park. We will spend Saturday night in the hotel in Gatlinburg where after cleaning up, we will enjoy our post hike meal at a local eatery. After an early drive thru Cades Cove for some wildlife viewing, we will head home to Indianapolis.
The Lodge is located at an elevation of 6953 ft. Depending on the trail you select, the elevation gain is anywhere from 1700 to 4000 ft gain over 5 to 8.2 miles. You will be required to each have a pair of Yak Trax as there have been ice/snow on the trail/mountain top in previous years. This is an iconic trip for many, and once you have been to the Lodge, you will want to return over and over again
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All trip participants must fill out and submit a CIWC Medical Form and Long Waiver Form.
