Fodor's Expert Review LeConte Lodge

Set at 6,360 feet near the summit of Mt. LeConte, this hike-in lodge is remote, rustic, and remarkable. Small, rough-hewn wood cabins and three group sleeping cabins have bunk beds, propane heaters, and kerosene lamps, and there are privies with flush toilets but no showers. The appeal of LeConte Lodge is the mountaintop setting, taking in the views from your deck rocking chair, and stargazing at night. There is no road access to the lodge; the only way in is by foot, up one of five trails, none of which are short or easy. The 6.5-mile Trillium Gap Trail is the easiest trail to the lodge, as it is not as steep as the other trails. The Alum Cave Bluffs Trail is the shortest, but it is fairly steep. Lodge supplies are brought in three times a week by llama. The lodge typically begins booking reservations in a lottery for the following year's season (late March to mid-November) on October 1 of the year before, and generally all dates are booked for the following year within a few weeks.