The Trillium Gap Trail is an American hiking trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in Sevier County, Tennessee. The trail ascends Mount Le Conte, one of the tallest (sixth highest) mountains east of the Mississippi River and passes both Grotto Falls and Trillium Gap before reaching the LeConte Lodge, near the summit. The trail to Grotto Falls is one of the busiest in the national park. Vital information The Trillium Gap Trail is one of the five trails leading to the Le Conte massif, which contains four separate peaks in all, the highest of which has an elevation of . The trail is the only horse trail on Le Conte and is traveled three times a week by llamas transporting supplies to the LeConte Lodge, except during the winter season, when the lodge is temporarily closed. The trailhead is located inside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about from the town of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, off the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Landmarks/overlooks Roaring Fork Grotto Falls Trillium Gap Brushy Mountain (0.4 mile spur trail from Trillium Gap) Trail synopsis Trailhead to Grotto Falls The Trillium Gap Trail begins its journey up the northern face of Mount Le Conte in an old-growth Eastern Hemlock grove, at an elevation close to 3,200 ft (975 m). Although very easy (only rising in elevation over the first 1.5 miles), this portion of the trail does contain many small creek crossings, so the hiker may want to brush up on his/her rock hopping skills prior to taking on the trail. After the third small stream, Roaring Fork sidles up along the path, signalling the soon-approaching Grotto Falls at . Here Roaring Fork tumbles thirty feet (9 m) over the falls, which the trail actually passes behind on its way to Trillium Gap and points beyond. Grotto Falls is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the park, and inasmuch can draw quite the crowd on certain days. Grotto Falls to Trillium Gap Once the hiker crosses the sometimes treacherous Roaring Fork (particularly after heavy rains), s/he begins a more steady ascent towards Le Conte. The trail here becomes more narrow and progressively rockier, a combination of the gain in elevation and loss of heavy activity along the trail. About a mile past the falls, the path enters into an expansive boulder field, where yet another small creek plummets down towards Roaring Fork.