Visiting LeConte? Here’s what to expect during July 14 demolition work

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK (828newsNOW) — Visitors heading to Mount Le Conte next week should expect a few temporary changes as Great Smoky Mountains National Park begins replacing one of the lodge’s longtime gathering spaces.

The park will start demolishing the LeConte Lodge Recreation Building on Monday, July 14, with helicopter airlift operations scheduled from 9 a.m. until noon, weather permitting. The building’s concessioner plans to construct a new recreation building later this year.

During the three-hour airlift operation, hikers will not be allowed on the LeConte Lodge grounds while helicopters move demolition materials. The lodge’s gift shop, restrooms, water spigots and food and beverage services will be closed during that time and are expected to reopen once flights are complete.

Trails and overlooks on Mount Le Conte will remain open. Park staff will station flaggers on nearby trails to briefly stop hikers when helicopters are actively lifting or lowering materials.

A composting privy will be available at the Mount Le Conte Shelter, although the shelter itself remains closed because of bear activity. Drinking water is available from the spring on Trillium Gap Trail, but park officials recommend boiling or treating the water before drinking it.

Motorists traveling on U.S. 441/Newfound Gap Road near the Oconaluftee Overlook, just south of Newfound Gap, should also expect brief traffic delays while helicopters transport materials.

The recreation building, constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, has served as a gathering place for overnight guests at LeConte Lodge for more than 50 years. Park officials said decades of exposure to harsh weather at the mountain’s 6,500-foot elevation have caused extensive deterioration that can no longer be repaired safely.

The new building will be constructed in the same location and designed to reflect the character of the original recreation building, preserving its role as the lodge’s central gathering place.

Additional helicopter airlifts are planned later this summer as construction continues. The park said it will announce those schedules as they are finalized.