by Danny Bernstein

I want to dispel a rumor right now: You can get a reservation at Le Conte Lodge without knowing anyone on the inside or booking a bed for summer, 2014. You have to either plan ahead or be flexible with your dates.

Mount LeConte, at 6,593 feet the third highest mountain in the Smokies, can be reached by six different trails. My favorite route is 8.2 miles roundtrip, beginning with the A.T. from Newfound Gap. The first 2.7 miles on the A.T. may be crowded since it is also the way to Charlies Bunion, but once you leave the A.T., you’ve lost the herds. Turn onto the the Boulevard Trail, walk about ten minutes and keep a lookout on the right for a break in the trees to a herd path to the Jumpoff. On a clear day, continue to the Jumpoff, a sheer thousand-foot vertical cliff, for excellent eastern views of Charlies Bunion and the wilderness gulf.

The Boulevard Trail, which stays above 5,500 feet, is always cool. When the trail curves around the eastern side of the mountain and gets steep, you’re getting close to the top. Pass the marker to Myrtle Point, the sunrise view, worth a detour anytime of the day. At High Point, Le Conte groupies created a rock pile so that eventually, the rocks will be higher than Clingman’s Dome.

You can stay at the newly refurbished backcountry shelter or at the luxurious lodge, really a set of furnished cabins. The beds have sheets and three blankets, so there is no need to bring a sleeping bag.

The lodge pre-dates the park. First a tent camp was erected to entertain political VIPs during the drive to create a national park. Later in 1926, Jack Huff began building the lodge as a retreat. Le Conte Lodge is now operated as a concession under the supervision of the National Park Service.

They serve a hearty dinner and breakfast, so all you need in addition to dayhiking gear is your toothbrush, small towel, and flashlight. After dinner, guests gather for the outstanding sunset at Cliff Top, a wide expanse of rocks a short way from the lodge.

The next morning, take the Alum Cave Trail, the steepest but the shortest way down the mountain. About half-way down, Alum Cave Bluffs is a bone dry island in one of the wettest places in the U.S. The soil contains Epsom salt and other minerals and was the start of the Epsom Salt Company in the 1830s. During the Civil War, William Holland Thomas and his band of Cherokees built a road to the Bluffs to protect saltpeter, important for making gunpowder.

Further down, Inspiration Point is the last good panoramic view of the wilderness. Go through Arch Rock on rocky steps and then the trail follows an easy course along Styx River to your car.

Lodge reservations open up on October 1 for the next season (end of March to end of November). If you call now and can go on a weekday, you may get a spot this year: 865-429-5704, www.leconte-lodge.com.

Directions: From the Oconaluftee Visitor Center outside of Cherokee, drive 20 miles on Newfound Gap Road to the Alum Cave Trailhead on the right and place one car. Go back about 4 miles to Newfound Gap to place a second car at the A.T. trailhead where the hike starts.