The Cumberland Gap was the first gateway to the western frontier, and it’s said that 300,000 people crossed here. However, long before Thomas Walker brought attention to this location, Native Americans used this path, known as the “Warriors’ Path,” to access rich hunting lands in what is known as Kentucky today. The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (CGNHP) was created in 1940 by Franklin Roosevelt to help preserve the Cumberland Gap and the Wilderness Road, blazed by Daniel Boone.
The CGNHP is shared between three states: Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. The park's main visitor center is located on the Kentucky side after going through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel from Tennessee at 1 Skyland Road in Middlesboro, KY. The park has 85 miles of trails and 14,000 acres of wilderness. One of the more popular trails is the Tri-State Trail, which allows you to stand in all three states in one spot.
The CGNHP offers some of the best views in the region; at the Pinnacle Overlook, you can view Fern Lake and the town of Middlesboro, KY, on one side. On the other side, you can see Clinch Mountain and the mountain chain belonging to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which features the Foothills Parkway above Maryville, TN. Other popular locations at the CGNHP include the Iron Furnace, which produced iron ore sold to Black Smiths. The Hensley Settlement is a small community built on the top of Cumberland Mountain in the early 1900’s. This settlement comprised multiple families, including a church and school, and remained an isolated Appalachian community until the 1940s.
Gap Cave, about 350 million years old, features many stalagmites and stalactites; however, the crown jewel is the Pillar of Hercules, a column formed over millions of years. This giant—and we do mean giant—is a spectacle to behold. The CGNHP also gives tours of Gap Cave, and we highly recommend taking one. The Gap Cave also has a vibrant history with the American Civil War, and you can see where soldiers burned their names into the ceiling using candles.
The Sand Cave is a 250-foot-wide sandstone cave eroded by wind, with beach-like sand leading up into the back of the cave. We would consider this one of the top five natural wonders of the Appalachian Region and a must-see; however, the hike is rather difficult. A roundtrip hike from the parking area is roughly ten miles, which makes you ask the question, “Is there ever a down?” Seriously, this is a very strenuous hike, with chance encounters of black bears. In the same area as the Sand Cave are what is known as White Rocks, a section along a ridge line that bolsters an extensive view of the area.
The CGNHP does offer camping and backcountry camping, which you can find more details about in the link at the bottom. The CGNHP is a hidden gem amongst the many other National Parks, and one that surprises many visitors. The park has a lot to offer, it also has none of the crowds you will see at other parks such as the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone and so on. If you are looking for a place to explore with abundant natural beauty, the CGNHP has you covered.
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