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ascend one trail (usually the
Rainbow Falls Trail) and descend the other. Given this, however, the trail is still the least popular route along Mount Le Conte, probably because of its isolation (in the woods, near to but away from its crowded neighbor trail) and that it contains no spectacular landmarks along its path. But it is this isolation that makes the trail so desirable to those who favor solitude when hiking.
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switches back over
Bullhead and continues along toward the top of the mountain when it passes a large boulder directly to the left of the trail at 3.0 miles (4.8 km). On a clear day, the hiker can see magnificent views of both English and Sugarland mountains to the northeast and southwest respectively. The rock is large enough to provide a suitable resting place close to the halfway mark of the trail.
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is found immediately ahead. The LeConte Lodge provides the only commercial lodging in the national park, as it operates about 10 rustic cabins with no electricity or appliances. The Lodge also operates an office which provides t-shirts and other merchandise for hikers and various amenities for guests
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The trail itself begins gently underneath the covering of young hemlocks, quickly offering views through the brush of a second growth forest. The first two miles (3 km) of the trail consist of much switchbacking, as the hiker slowly but steadily gains elevation towards the Le Conte summit,
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The beginning of the
Bullhead Trail is, for all intents and purposes, actually the trailhead to the Rainbow Falls Trail. Both trails are designated the same parking area, and because of their proximity (the two paths are separated only by a 0.3-mile (0.48 km) spur trail) many hikers choose to
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which, from a distance, apparently gives the impression of a bull's head, from which the trail is named. At 2.5 miles (4.0 km) a boulder field offers the hiker a glimpse into the Le Conte Creek valley below, even offering views of the Space Needle in downtown
Gatlinburg. The path then
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Moving along toward the LeConte Lodge, the footpath soon becomes very rocky and enters into the coniferous Fraser fir/red spruce forest ubiquitous to the higher elevations of the national park. The dead
Frasers are the unfortunate result of the influx of the non-native
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of the lodge. For many, this signals the end of their journey, but the actual peaks of Le Conte all have separate trails a short distance from the lodge, with Cliff Tops and Myrtle Point each offering expansive panoramas of the mountains and valleys below.
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The trailhead is located inside of the Great Smoky
Mountains National Park, off Cherokee Orchard Road, 3.4 miles (5.5 km) from Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
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The
Bullhead Trail is the least traveled route to the summit of Mount Le Conte (elev. 6,593 ft (2,010 m); 2,010 m)
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The partition of the
Bullhead and Rainbow Falls trails, two-thirds of a mile below the LeConte Lodge, showcasing Bullhead.
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The
Bullhead Trail is shown on the following 1:24,000-scale topographic maps published by the National Park Service:
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Platform nearly halfway along
Bullhead Trail from which English and Sugarland mountains can be seen.
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324:"Mt Le Conte Quadrangle, Great Smoky Mountains 7.5 minute 1:24,000-scale series Topographic Maps"
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The Best of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: A Hiker's Guide to Trails and Attractions
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Visitor Center to the Rainbow Falls Trail is one way to access the trailhead.
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One of the many overlooks along the final portion of the Bullhead Trail.
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197:and offers outstanding views before joining the
284:English Mountain overlook to the Leconte Lodge
213:A short connector trail that extends from the
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373:Great Smoky Mountains National Park Homepage
347:. Norris, Tennessee: Mountain Laurel Place.
233:English Mountain/Sugarland Mountain overlook
435:Protected areas of Sevier County, Tennessee
308:"Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Maps"
201:before terminating near the LeConte Lodge.
79:(Trailhead off Cherokee Orchard Road, near
193:(and sixth highest) mountain east of the
383:Hiking the Bullhead Trail to Mt. LeConte
16:Hiking trail in Tennessee, United States
339:Manning, Russ; Sondra Jamieson (1991).
246:Trailhead to English Mountain overlook
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440:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
176:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
53:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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263:and includes a pass just beneath
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430:Hiking trails to Mount Le Conte
113:Terminus near the LeConte Lodge
44:9.5 (11.1 to LeConte Lodge) km
42:5.9 (6.9 to LeConte Lodge) mi;
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160:Ice (in winter), loose rocks
105:3,820 ft (1,160 m)
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378:LeConte Lodge Homepage
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362:Elevation Information
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149:Great Smoky Mountains
81:Gatlinburg, Tennessee
291:balsam wooly adelgid
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186:. The trail ascends
174:hiking trail in the
132:Moderately Strenuous
406:35.7117°N 83.5010°W
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302:Maps and Directions
225:Landmarks/overlooks
199:Rainbow Falls Trail
188:Mount Le Conte
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267:, a Le Conte
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84:Terminus near the
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205:Vital information
195:Mississippi River
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367:External links
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121:Trailhead in
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110:Highest point
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61:United States
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118:Lowest point
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424:Categories
397:83°30′04″W
394:35°42′42″N
269:heath bald
215:Sugarlands
129:Difficulty
68:Trailheads
184:Tennessee
77:Tennessee
57:Tennessee
265:Bullhead
230:Bullhead
172:American
49:Location
334:Sources
156:Hazards
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170:is an
145:Sights
137:Season
95:Hiking
39:Length
327:(PDF)
178:, in
349:ISBN
166:The
92:Use
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
