After a long day of driving and some scary foggy conditions through the Great Smoky Mountains, we were so glad to check into our hotel. We picked the Edgewater Hotel because it’s a cozy little inn located next to Little Pigeon River, and it is walking distance to downtown Gatlinburg!

The next morning we were pumped and ready for our first hike of the trip! We tackled the Alum Cave Trail to Mount LeConte, an 11.0-mile out-and-back trail with around 3,000 feet of elevation gain. I had done this hike once before but had to turn around due to icy conditions before reaching the summit, so this time I was determined to finish it!

By the time we arrived at the trailhead around 10:30 AM, the parking lot was completely full. We ended up parallel parking in an unmarked spot along with a line of other cars behind us. Just as we were about to head out, the guy behind us joked that he was glad we parked in front of them because they were worried about being the first in line to get towed. That spiked our anxiety, so we waited for a second and moved our car to an open spot behind him! We bumped into them several times on the trail, and he would comment on how he hoped our car was still there while we secretly thought the same about them.

Once the parking situation was settled, we finally started the hike. The trail follows a river for a while before steadily climbing up to Alum Cave. We reached the cave around noon, took a quick break to enjoy some trail snacks, and then continued onward to the summit of Mount LeConte. This seemed to be the turn-around point for most hikers because the trail became way less crowded after that. We only passed a handful of people on the way up.

Along the trail, we spotted some ravens and even a red squirrel! I think Jordan may have been a little mad at me, though—I saw the squirrel first and shouted, “JORDAN, BEHIND YOU!” He may have been a little spooked by that one.

After taking in some gorgeous viewpoints and enjoying the peaceful, quiet trail, we finally reached the Lodge at Mount LeConte. Fun fact: You can only access the lodge by hiking up and back, which is a trip we might just have to plan for next time! We chatted with the groundskeeper, “Coyote,” who told us he’s been working there for over 20 years. He showed us the spring-fed water source they use, which was the perfect icy cold refill station for our packs. There was a sign that read “BOIL ALL WATER,” but Coyote assured us he’d been drinking it for 20 years with no issues, so we trusted him!

After a great chat with Coyote, we headed up to the actual summit of Mount LeConte. We arrived around 2:45 PM, had a quick lunch at the top, and—because we had a 7:30 PM dinner reservation at The Greenbriar—we couldn’t stay too long. Even though we were short on time, we had to take a quick mile detour to the Cliff Top Viewpoint. And trust me, it was totally worth it.

At around 3:30 PM, we started our descent, determined to make it back in time for dinner. We got to the trailhead at 5:30 PM, which gave us plenty of time to clean up and get ready for our special dinner plans.

Dinner at Greenbriar was the perfect end to an amazing day. After a full day of hiking, we were starving, and the steaks we ordered hit the spot. The best part? We got a complimentary crème brûlée dessert since we were newlyweds! I’d love to come back during the day to see the views because the restaurant is nestled up in the treetops—so cool.

All in all, Day 1 was an incredible start to our trip.