Hike to the third highest peak in the Smokies.

"To reach Mt. LeConte you'll be following the Trillium Gap Trail for most of your hike. The lower portions of the trail meander through an old-growth hemlock forest. If you hike the trail during May you'll have the added benefit of witnessing a smorgasbord of wildflowers through this section. Look for trillium, white violets, stitchwort, squawcorn and Dutchman's breeches.

At 1.5 miles you'll reach Grotto Falls, the only waterfall in the park that a person can actually walk behind. The 25-foot high waterfall offers a cool, shady, moist retreat for summer hikers. Similar to the Rainbow Falls Trail, the trail to the Grotto Falls will be quite busy during peak seasons, however, beyond the falls, the crowds thin considerably.

As you walk the section of trail between the falls and Trillium Gap, listen for underground streams roaring through the rocks.

At 2.9 miles you'll reach Trillium Gap and the Brushy Mountain Trail junction. Springtime hikers will be delighted by the brilliant carpet of wildflowers underneath the American beech grove that dominates the area. A hike of just over a half-mile on this spur trail will take you to the summit of Brushy Mountain, which offers excellent views of Mount LeConte. To reach the summit of Brushy Mountain, take a left at this junction - going straight will take you down the Brushy Mountain Trail and towards the Porters Creek Trail.

To continue on towards the summit of Mount LeConte, veer right at this junction. Don't be surprised to run into a pack-train of llamas between the junction and the summit. This section of trail is traveled three times a week by llamas transporting supplies to the LeConte Lodge.

At 6.5 miles the trail dead-ends into the Rainbow Falls Trail. Turn left here.

The summit, better known as High Top, will be at 6.8 miles. You'll know you've reached the highest point on Mt. LeConte when you've reached the large cairn, or pile of rocks, just off the main trail on the right.

At 6593 feet, Mount LeConte is the third highest peak in the Smoky Mountains. However, from its immediate base to its highest peak, Mt. LeConte is the tallest mountain in the Eastern United States, rising 5301 feet from its base near Gatlinburg. " - Quoted from http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/lecontetrillium.htm