 HELLO FROM THE LODGE!
The weather on the mountain often changes very rapidly. Yesterday morning the sky was clear. Today we are experiencing clouds, dense fog, wind and sleet freezing as it hits the ground! It is so slick around the Lodge that I had to return to my room and put on traction devices to be able to reach the kitchen. All of the roads to access the trails to Mt LeConte are closed except for Cherokee Orchard to Rainbow Falls. We received 0.20 inches of precipitation last night. The temperature was low enough that I had to bring the rain gauge into the kitchen to melt the ice before I could take a reading. If you are determined to climb the Rainbow Falls Trail today you will need TRACTION DEVICES! My advice for today is to stay warm and dry! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert
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 HOWDY! We’re going to have a warmer day today atop Mt LeConte. The morning temperature today was 24 degrees compared to 5 degrees yesterday! We saw a lot of hikers yesterday and are expecting even more today since it’s Saturday. Enjoy the trails today while the weather is good—the sky is clear and blue and the sun is shining brightly. The solar panels at the Lodge appreciate days like this! HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert   HAPPY THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY FROM LECONTE LODGE!
We hope that you are able to spend this holiday weekend celebrating with your loved ones, family, and friends! The Lodge was very quiet yesterday after it closed for the 2025 season. It will remain closed for the winter until it reopens in the spring. The in-season crew excitedly departed so that they would be able to travel and spend Thanksgiving with their friends and families. Perhaps another reason that Mt. LeConte was quiet yesterday was that the morning temperature was a rather chilly 12 degrees. There was no precipitation during the past 24 hours so the roads are open even with the frigid temps. If you should decide to hike off your sumptuous Holiday meals this weekend, please keep in mind that it is now winter in the mountains and to dress accordingly. Please stay warm and safe. HAPPY TRAILS!! WILDCAT/Bert  Another season of LeConte Lodge has come to a close… What better time to reflect on all the memories made, joys shared, and accomplishments achieved over the course of the past year. There is SO much to be thankful for…from the thousands upon thousands of guests we serve, to the numerous entities and individuals we partner with to deliver a unique and timeless experience here in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In order to make a visit to LeConte Lodge the incomparable and magical experience that it is requires the relentless dedication and commitment of so many talented and caring people. As we tie a ribbon on the 2025 season and eagerly look forward to what 2026 has in store, we give thanks to everyone involved in making this “bucket list” endeavor so special. Please join us in offering thanks and well wishes to this season’s on-site crew as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, and also the llama wranglers, shuttle drivers, reservationists, and Stokely Hospitality administration staff, as well as our countless vendors and proud partners with the National Park Service, who continue to work year round out front or behind the scenes to welcome inspired visitors back to Mt. LeConte again and again. Lastly, thank you to our beloved fans and followers. It is our sincere pleasure to keep you informed and included in all the action that attempts to satisfy the unquenchable thirst for more of everyone’s favorite mountain getaway. Wishing you all a warm and prosperous Thanksgiving and coming holiday season!   Wind and rain are both pounding the mountain today. During the night, both arrived and haven’t really let up even through lunch time. Accordingly, there’s been far fewer visitors out and about. We’re under a Wind Advisory until 4:00 PM today calling for gusts upwards of 55mph, and by the howling overhead we’re experiencing every bit of it. The rain showers have been intermittent and varying. Fortunately, the air temps remain on the mild side as we roll between 40s and 50s at the summit. The precip possibilities are going to persist well into Wednesday morning before skies finally break up and clear off. The flip side to that sunny improvement means a steep drop in temperatures though. Tomorrow night could bring single digit windchills to the Lodge, so all the more reason for the last guests of the season and our crew to ramble on down the trail sooner rather than later. Just a matter of hours to go!   It’s taken some extra motivation to get rolling today after enjoying a delicious feast prepared by our talented cooks yesterday. A great time was had by all in attendance, and the calories consumed will surely help power our team through these final days of the 2025 season. We’ve had all the makings of a late November day. Frost at sunrise eventually thawed by a mild midday sun. Clear skies, thick fog, and every form of cloud in between over the summit. The occasional breeze with its chilly nip, just enough to remind anyone spending extended time outside that the warmth of the sun is fleeting, and winter is inevitably coming. As this Monday could be our last dry and mostly sunny day between now and when we close our doors, we’ve been taking full advantage of knocking out year-end tasks completed more manageably under conditions that don’t involve rain or sub-freezing temps. It appears as though precip will return to the forecast late this evening and remain a nagging presence much of Tuesday and early Wednesday. It also looks like we’ll be serving the last guests and turning the key just before the temps will plummet. The sky can snow and thermometer can drop all they want come Thursday. Tuesday afternoon will be the last chance for day hikers to partake of our visitor services that involve the gift shop and/or purchasing snacks. On Wednesday morning, we’ll serve our departing overnight guests their breakfast then just about chase them down the mountain upon closing the doors. After eight months, our crew is just a little bit excited about their holiday plans and next chapters. Visitor services of any kind atop Mt. LeConte will not resume until March 23, 2026. Our reservations office will be closed both Thursday and Friday this week in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. If you are someone with a lodging and/or shuttle reservation for 2026 and need to make some adjustments, or you would just like to inquire about snagging a vacancy for next season, then be sure and do so before 5:00 PM this Wednesday.   We’re in the grips of another overcast and gloomy day, with wet clouds sitting especially thick on the summit. The occasional tease of blue sky and sunshine come to pass, but are short lived and quickly dispatched by the next wall of gray. Rain showers have been sporadic, most often lighter than a mist, and temps have it feeling rather comfortable even at our elevation. At least hikers frolicking around the mountain today have that to enjoy on this final Saturday of the 2025 season. Sunshine is slated to return tomorrow, so one wouldn’t be surprised if the masses opted to spend their precious outdoor time Sunday instead of today.
As is our tradition the final Sunday of the season, the crew is thoroughly excited to be prepping for their annual Mountain Thanksgiving feast. Our cooks have been hard at work making sure the spread is plentiful, diverse, and downright delicious. It’s a great way for our marvelous crew to reflect on a long season in fellowship and appreciation. While the savory smells of what delectable bites being baked are sure to fill the air of camp, causing any visitors to wonder and salivate after completing their ascent, this is a closed event specifically for our crew. One last hurrah for the people in the trenches who sell those shirts, sling the suds, scrub the nooks and crannies, lead the lovable llamas, or craft those hearty meals.  It’s good to see the rain again. Been an overall dry few weeks of late for our region, so a steady soaking of the earth is appreciated and beneficial. Skies are solidly overcast and cloudy today, with spotty rain showers making the occasional appearance. Tomorrow is shaping up to be a soaker as well, so one would expect the trails and summit to look less busy and sound much quieter for the final Saturday of the season. Come Sunday though, sunnier conditions return to wrap up the weekend. Mild temps are set to persist as we’ll keep swinging between 40s and 50s until closing day. After that, it can freeze and snow all it wants!   It’s turned out to be a marvelous late autumn day in the Smokies. Comfortably warm temps across all elevations, ample sunshine, calm air, and grand views into the distance. Couldn’t ask for much better conditions to get outside and enjoy some quality time in the woods. Clouds have thickened overhead though as we trudge deeper into the afternoon. There is a strong possibility for rain this evening, and the front half of this weekend is shaping up to be rather wet as well. Might be Sunday before we welcome any unobstructed sunshine again. Thankfully, all projected temps between now and when we shut the doors six days from now are to remain decently above freezing. As is typical once we get into mid November, the trails are much quieter in terms of foot traffic. That means there’s less demand and greater supply for parking spaces at often popular places like Alum Cave, Rainbow and Grotto Falls. Reminder to anyone interested in hiking the 6.7 mile option of Trillium Gap Trail to the summit will have until 11/29 to do so, as after that the one-way Roaring Fork will be closed until next May. All other roads providing access to Mt. LeConte’s many trails (US 441, Cherokee Orchard, Greenbrier) typically remain open during the winter months, their potential for closures majorly determined by winter weather hazards.   One week to go. Everyone’s opportunities to get in on services at the Lodge are down to the final days of the 2025 season. After that, this place will look, sound, and feel a whole lot different to anyone visiting before next March. While we aren’t closed for the winter yet, the mountains have already taken on their gray and tan dormant appearance. The changing leaves are long gone, the daylight hours continue to lessen rapidly, and chilly temps are becoming the norm. Favorable news in that last department though, as we aren’t expected to dip below freezing anytime between now and the end of the season. That means no snow or ice to contend with on trail. The flip side of that forecast coin though is the steady presence of rain over the coming week. We welcomed some patchy rain showers this last evening, a good thing after what has honestly been a mostly dry autumn. Temps up top are going to spend the majority of their time in the 40s and 50s. That could still feel cool to some, especially in the rain, so be sure and pack the appropriate layers for staying dry and warm.  |
LeConte LodgeWelcome to the official blog of LeConte Lodge. We hope you find the information provided here both helpful and enjoyable. Thank you for visiting the site, and we hope to see you on the mountain! Archives
February 2026
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