Smokies Schedules More Airlifts for LeConte Lodge Demolition

Great Smoky Mountains National Park said it will run another round of helicopter airlifts from Oct. 6 to Oct. 10 through 12 as contingency dates. The park said it is prioritizing safety over schedule and will delay or stretch flight times as conditions demand.

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Lodge closes, trails stay open with flaggers posted

LeConte Lodge itself will shut down during each day's flight window because of safety rules tied to the helicopter's quick loading and unloading cycle. That means no access to the lodge's gift shop, restrooms, water spigots or food and beverage service while aircraft are working — those will reopen once that day's airlift wraps up.

Hikers already on Mount Le Conte will not be turned away from the mountain. The park says trails and overlooks around the summit stay open during the airlifts, with park staff stationed as flaggers at three points near the lodge to pause foot traffic while a helicopter is actively moving loads. Those needing a restroom during the closure can use a composting privy at the Mount Le Conte Shelter, though the shelter itself remains closed separately because of bear activity in the area. Water is available from a spring along Trillium Gap Trail, which the park recommends boiling or treating before drinking.

Drivers on US441/Newfound Gap Road should also expect short delays near the Oconaluftee Overlook, just south of Newfound Gap, while the helicopter loads and unloads materials at a staging point along the road.

Replacement building planned for later this year

The structure coming down was built in the late 1960s or early 1970s and had served for more than 50 years as a communal gathering space for overnight guests at the backcountry lodge, which sits near the summit of Mount Le Conte and is accessible only by trail. The park said exposure to harsh high-elevation weather had degraded the building past the point where repairs made sense, prompting the decision to remove it rather than patch it further.

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The park said it intends to put up a new recreation building on the same site later this year, though it has not released a construction timeline beyond that. For now, hikers planning overnight stays or day trips to the summit should check the airlift schedule before heading up, since access to lodge amenities will be intermittent through at least Oct. 9 and possibly into the contingency window.