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Trillium Gap Trail

Intermediate/Difficult Intermediate/Difficult
 4.3 (15)
  1. Areas
  2. NC
  3. …West and Mountains
  4. …Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  5. Roaring Fork
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“A popular, scenic hike that passes Grotto Falls on the way to Mt. Leconte. ”

Max Willner
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Map Key

9.0

Miles

14.4

KM

Point to Point

6,374' 1,943 m

High

2,578' 786 m

Low

3,802' 1,159 m

Up

7' 2 m

Down

8%

Avg Grade (5°)

22%

Max Grade (12°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Fall Colors · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Great Smoky Mountain National Park closes secondary roads on a seasonal schedule due to snow. Schedules can be found here.

All campsites must be registered with the park. Backcountry rules and regulations can be found here.

Description

The Trillium Gap Trail is one of several trails that lead to Mt. Le Conte. This trail can be reached by the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, but it's important to note that this road (among several others) closes every year during the winter season.

While the entire trail is technically nine miles, most hikers choose to drive roughly two miles in and park at the Grotto Falls parking area. The trailhead can be found just shortly in on the Rainbow Falls Trailhead. This is a wonderful hike that is lush with plant life and gradually offers amazing views on the way up to Mt. Le Conte.

About 3.5 miles into the route, visitors will pass Grotto Falls. This dramatic waterfall offers a great view, a perfect place to have a picnic, or just a spot to catch your breath.

Climbing to Trillium Gap is fairly easy to pull off, and the journey is sprinkled with a couple of stream crossings (including the Roaring Fork). The going gets a bit more challenging once hikers begin their way up towards the Mt. Le Conte lodge. Be sure to notice the abundance of milky quartz on the way to the top - one of the hardest and most common varieties of crystalline quartz on the planet. The last section of this trail is perhaps the rockiest, so it's good to exercise caution on your way to the top.

Once you reach the summit of Mt. Le Conte, you'll have a variety of options. Continue on to reach the summits of Cliff Top or of High Top if you're looking for more incredible views.

If the 9-mile return journey is too much to contemplate for one day, there are various overnight options available. Stay at the Le Conte Lodge, or camp out at the Mt. Le Conte shelter. No matter what you choose, your return journey will follow the same gentle and scenic trail that you took on the ascent.

Flora & Fauna

The Smokies are home to more than 1,600 species of plants, most of which produce an abundance of flowers in the spring. These species include mountain laurel, rhododendron, azalea, and many others. Spring wildflowers peak from early April through late May. To learn more about the plants of the Smokies and even get a trees and shrubs checklist, visit the park's website.

As for local fauna, black bears are common in the area, along with white-tailed deer and 31 species of salamanders. Birdwatchers can spot a variety of species, notably the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) and red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus). For more information on black bears, refer to this webpage.

Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Shared By:

Max Willner
Full Details

Trail Ratings

  4.3 from 15 votes

#2

in Roaring Fork

#6858

Overall
  4.3 from 15 votes
5 Star
40%
4 Star
47%
3 Star
13%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#2

in Roaring Fork

#114

in North Carolina

#6,858

Overall
24 Views Last Month
2,635 Since Aug 5, 2016
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Photos

Leave Only Your Footprints. The scene from Grotto Falls after a February morning snow fall in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From Dec. to mid-March, the trail begins at the Rainbow Falls Trailhead (6 miles r/t). Rest of the year, you can begin at Trillium Gap Trailhead for a 2.6-mile hike.
Apr 7, 2016 near Gatlinburg, TN
Grotto Falls
Sep 4, 2015 near Gatlinburg, TN
View from the trail
May 28, 2022 near Gatlinburg, TN
The start of Trillium Gap Trail.
Sep 4, 2015 near Gatlinburg, TN
View from the trail.
May 28, 2022 near Gatlinburg, TN
We made it!
Mar 29, 2017 near Gatlinburg, TN

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Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Sep 21, 2024
Dawn Haynes
Aug 18, 2023
Kelly King
9mi — 1h 30m
Apr 5, 2022
Jennifer Reay
Spring break in Pigeon Forge 6.8mi — 3h 14m
Oct 30, 2021
Mark Perkins
2mi
Jun 1, 2021
Micah Gamble
Started at Grotto Falls trailhead - miscalculated how far it was to the top of LeConte but still summited and made it back down in one piece — 8h 00m
Jan 10, 2021
Jeff C
Nov 26, 2020
Haden Smith
4mi
Oct 24, 2020
Courtney Exendine
7mi

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