![Hike Mount Laconte Via Alum Cave Featured](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/hike-mount-laconte-via-alum-cave-featured-740x416.jpg)
![play video](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/themes/hikingguy-v00351/img/play_video4.png)
The hike to Mount LeConte from the Alum Cave Trail is considered the marquis trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It's a challenging hike but very doable by most folks. The trail is beautiful, easy to follow, and offers lots to see along the way.
- Turn by Turn Hike Directions & Video
- Interactive Trail Maps
- Insider Tips & Recommendations
Where is the Alum Cave Trail?
![Laconte Area Map](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/laconte-area-map-1200x752.png)
Use this trailhead address:
Alum Cave Trailhead Parking Area, 3639 Newfound Gap Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
![Laconte Area Parking](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/laconte-area-parking-1200x768.jpeg)
This is the most popular hike in the park. Get here at sunrise for your best chances at getting a parking spot.
![Mount Lactone Hike Parking Lot](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mount-lactone-hike-parking-lot-1200x675.jpg)
![Mount Lactone Hike Parking Machine](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mount-lactone-hike-parking-machine-1200x675.jpg)
Gear Recommendations
This is a true backcountry hike, and you should prepare accordingly.
- Bring at least 1.5 liters of water. You can refill at Lactone Lodge at the top.
- Trail runners work best on the dirt trail, which can get wet and muddy.
- Bring a snack to fuel up; this is a long hike.
- Be prepared for changing conditions with some layers and a rainshell.
- There's no phone coverage, so having a satellite communicator is a smart bet.
- In the winter, it can be snowy and icy. Check the mountain weather link at the top of this page for the conditions, which will usually differ from those at the start of the hike or in Gatlinburg.
Gear That I Love Right Now
Nothing is sponsored or promoted, just the actual gear that I use.
Check out the complete list here. ( Updated July 2024)
Worth Noting
![Joe Leconte](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/joe-leconte-1200x810.jpg)
- According to the USGS, Mt LeConte is named after Joseph Le Conte (1823-1901), a geologist and early conservationist. Le Conte was a co-founder of the Sierra Club with John Muir in 1892. He was such a popular guy that after he died in 1901, he became the namesake for Le Conte Glacier, Le Conte Canyon, Le Conte Divide, Le Conte Falls, Le Conte Mountain, and Le Conte Lodge.
- But some people say it's named after Joseph's older brother, John, who helped measure the mountain's elevation.
- These mountains are some of the oldest in the world. The Smokies date back 200-300 million years.
Mount LeConte Trail Maps
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00002](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00002-1200x675.jpg)
How Will You Navigate?
Mount LeConte Hike Directions
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00003](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00003-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00004](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00004-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00005](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00005-1200x675.jpg)
The arch came into being as the softer rock underneath the harder rock was worn away by the cycle of freezing and thawing.
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00006](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00006-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00007](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00007-1200x675.jpg)
Alum Cave Bluffs, named for the alum deposits found here in the 1800s, are a prominent geological formation characterized by a vast, overhanging cliff about 80 feet high and 500 feet wide.
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00008](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00008-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00009](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00009-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00010](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00010-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00011](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00011-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00012](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00012-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00013](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00013-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00014](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00014-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00015](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00015-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00016](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00016-1200x675.jpg)
For a better viewpoint, continue straight past the summit on the short downhill.
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00017](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00017-1200x675.jpg)
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00018](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00018-1200x675.jpg)
You can avoid the spur to Cliff Top and just go straight down.
![Mt Laconte Hike Directions 00019](https://hikingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/mt-laconte-hike-directions-00019-1200x675.jpg)
Need More Info?
- Have a question about the guide? Join my Patreon and ask me a question.
- When planning, always check the park website and social media to make sure the trails are open. Similarly, check the weather and road conditions.
- Do you have an update to this guide? View the Youtube comments for this video. Leave a comment and I will do my best to update the guide.