Vertical Milestones
Updated: 4 days ago
The vertical mile is a hiking challenge that involves climbing Mount Le Conte from the riverside in Gatlinburg. Hikers start by dipping a toe in the Little Pigeon RIver near Ripley's Aquarium (elevation 1,313 or less) and then climb 5,280 feet to High Top.
The typical route follows the Cherokee Orchard Road up to Rainbow Falls Trail. Bullhead and Trillium Gap offer alternative routes,and .it is even possible to do via Brushy Mountain Trail by starting near the Emerts Cove covered bridge below Greenbrier. Depending on the route, the round-trip hike is usually more than 22 miles.
Holly Bryant and T.J. Melinn have reported the most vertical miles with nine each. After his Sept. 26 hike, "The Bearded Guide" sposted that his next mile will be with Bryant, so they can remain tied on the record books. "Life isn't always about passing up a friend just to be No. 1," he wrote.
The leaders for most vertical miles:
Holly Bryant | 9 |
9 | |
Tim Massey | 6 |
Larry Russell | 5 |
Jason Schenk | 4 |
Mike Edens | 4 |
Bonnie Northrup | 3 |
Lee Fortune | 2 |
Mark Nielson | 2 |
The first vertical mile may have been in 1922, by Frank Machamer Jr.. He signed an early logbook: "Made it in 3 1/2 hours from Gatlinburg. It's hell, but it's great." It's not clear where Machamer started or if he climbed a full vertical mile.
OIn April 18, 1930, 32-year-old Nick Robinson walked 51 miles from Knoxville to LeConte Lodge. He started at the Andrew Johnson Hotel on Gay Street in Knoxville, which means he climbed over 5,400 feet, climbing the old Rainbow Falls trail (4.1 miles) in 1:48.
LeContest.com has recorded more than a hundred vertical miles in recent years.
To get credit for the full vertical mile, hikers need to continue past LeConte Lodge to the summit at High Top. Don't be fooled by the "Elevation 6,593" sign on the dining hall.
Recent vertical milers:
Date | Hiker | Route up, down | Miles | Time | Lifetime vertical miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2026/10/04 | Tim Massey | Gatlinburg, Sugarlands, Bullhead | up 13 RT 23.82 | up 4:09 RT 6:54:16 | 6 |
2026/10/01 | Mike Edens | Rainbow, Rainbow | up 10.74 RT 21.98 | up 4:21 RT 9;20 | 4 |
2026/10/01 | Mike Edens | Rainbow | up 10.44 RT 21.31 | up 4:11 RT 8:46 | 3 |
2026/09/29 | Mike Edens | Rainbow, Rainbow | up 10.57 RT 23.08 | up 4:42 RT 9:55 | 2 |
2026/09/26 | T.J. Melinn | Rainbow, Bullhead | up 10.65 RT 24.78 | up 7:36 RT 12:21 | 9 |
2026/09/26 | Mike Edens | Rainbow, Bullhead | up 10.65 RT 24.78 | up 7:36 RT 12:21 | 1 |
2026/09/20 | T.J. Melinn | Bullhead, Rainbow | up 11.08 | up 6:10 | 8 |
2026/09/11 | T.J. Melinn | Rainbow, Bullhead | up 10.99 | up 6:59:05 | 7 |
2026/09/07 | Jason Schenk | Bullhead | up 10.5 | up 3:44.39 | 4 |
2026/09/03 | T.J. Melinn | Rainbow, Bullhead | up 10.63, RT 23.11 | RT 13:30:44 | 6 |
2026/08/29 | T.J. Melinn | Bullhead, Rainbow | up 11.07 RT 23.65 | up 6:31 RT 11:34:29 | 5 |
2026/08/29 | Jason Schenk | Bullhead | up 10.62 | 3:55:37 | 3 |
2026/08/22 | T.J. Melinn | Rainbow | 22:19 | 4 | |
2026/08/22 | Lee Fortune | Rainbow | 21.19 | 5:39 | 2 |
2026/08/16 | T.J. Melinn | Bullhead | 24.49 | 15:00:20 | 3 |
2026/08/16 | Jason Shenk | 22.26 | 9:37:37 | 2 | |
2026/08/09 | T.J. Melinn | Rainbow, Bullhead | 23.74 | 11:39:28 | 2 |
2026/06/30 | Jeff Goulder | Rainbow | 7:19 up, 12:38 round trip | 1 | |
2026/06/26 | T.J. Melinn | Rainbow, Bullhead | 1 | ||
2026/06/26 | Philip Elwick | Rainbow, Bullhead | 1 | ||
2026/04/02 | Constance Perry | Rainbow | 22.6 | 5:23 up, 4:30 down | 1 |
2026/04/01 | Rita Koehn | 23.4 | 9:16 | 1 | |
2026/04/01 | Daniel Koehn | 23.4 | 9:16 | 1 |
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