GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK, TENN.
Alum Cave Bluff is a monstrous ledge of black slate that gives the impression of a cave. The name comes from the deposits of alum crystals found along the walls. Reach the popular bluff with a five-mile hike on the Alum Cave Bluff Trail. It parallels Alum Creek and passes Arch Rock, one of the few natural arches inside the park. The bluff is a great place for hikers to rest before climbing another 2.5 miles beyond the bluffs to the 6,593-foot summit of Mt. Leconte. The trek to Leconte from the Alum Cave Bluff Trailhead ascends nearly 3,000 feet in under five miles. The Alum Cave Bluff Trailhead is eight miles east of the Sugarlands Visitor Center on Newfound Gap Road.
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