Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is located where the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia converge. Cumberland Gap was a vital route through the Appalachian Mountains.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Dr. Thomas Walker of Albemarle County in Virginia is credited with discovering the pass in 1750 while searching for settlement sites beyond the mountains.

Daniel Boone came through this area in 1775 to carve out the Wilderness Road. This area was used by Native Americans, settlers heading to Kentucky and traveling west.

It is hard to imagine that bison used to migrate through this area. The gap in the mountains was named after the Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II by Dr. Thomas Walker.

This area had been used by Native Americans for years before settlers started using it. Fro 1775 to 1820 more than 300,000 people passed through the gap to start their lives in what would become Kentucky and farther west.

The park stretches for 26 miles along Cumberland Mountain including 24,000 acres along the Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee border.

In 1996 a tunnel was built under the mountains so the area could return to a more natural landscape. Visitors can explore the park to learn more about the original routes of Native Americans and Pioneers.

You can also learn about and explore Civil War-era earthworks, a century-old iron furnace, and the infamous Indian Rock.

The park is filled with abundant wildlife including black bears, bobcat, white-tailed deer, and wild turkeys.

Visitor Center

The Cumberland Gap Visitor Center is the perfect place to start your visit to the park. Pick up a junior ranger program, explore the exhibit, and learn more about the park.

The visitor center is open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Closed on Christmas Day.

There are two park films available at the visitor center. Daniel Boone and the Westward Movement is 23 minutes long. The Cumberland Gap film is 11 minutes long.

Pinnacle Overlook

Elevation 2,440 feet

The Pinnacle Overlook can be reached by driving a 4-mile winding road to the top. The road is closed when there is inclement weather, ice or dangerous driving.

Visitors can enjoy amazing views looking out over Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee.

Gap Cave

Gap Cave (formerly known as Cudjo's Cave) Ranger-led tours of Gap Cave are offered throughout the year.

A 1.5-mile tour explores four levels of the cave via 183 steps.

No children under the age of five are permitted.

Tour has limited capacity. Reservations are recommended and can be made up to one month in advance by calling the park visitor center at (606) 248-2817.

Prices
Adults - $8.00
Visitors with Golden Age, Interagency Senior Pass or Access Pass - $4.00
Children five through twelve - $4.00

Hiking Trails

There are 85 miles of trails that wander through the park. Everything from easy .25 mile loop trails to the 21-mile long Ridge Trail.

Junior Ranger Program

You can pick up the great Cumberland Gap Junior Ranger Program from the front desk at the visitor center. The program can be filled out while exploring the visitor center.

Hensley Settlement

The Hensley Settlement was established in 1903 by Sherman Hensley and was occupied until 1951.

Hensley Settlement tours have been canceled due to unsafe road conditions. The shortest hike to Hensley is a 9.2-mile roundtrip hike via the Shillalah Creek Trail on the Kentucky side.

Wilderness Road Campground

Wilderness Road Campground is located approximately 3 miles from the park visitor center off of Highway 58 in Virginia.

Sites - 160

20, 30, and 50 amp electrical hookups are available at 41 of the sites.

$14.00 per night per site for tent sites with no electricity.
$20.00 per night per site for an electrical hookup.

For a fun adventure check out Escape Campervans. These campervans have built in beds, kitchen area with refrigerators, and more. You can have them fully set up with kitchen supplies, bedding, and other fun extras. They are painted with epic designs you can't miss!

Escape Campervans has offices in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, New York, and Orlando

Passport Book Stamps

National Park Passport Book Stamps are located in the visitor center at Cumberland Gap. They have quite a few options for stamps.

We like to use these circle stickers for park stamps so we don't have to bring our passport book with us on every trip.

The National Park Passport Book program is a great way to document all of the parks you have visitied.

You can get Passport Stickers and Annual Stamp Sets to help enhance your Passport Book.

Things to know when planning a trip to Cumberland Gap NHP

Park Address: 91 Bartlett Park Road, Middlesboro, KY 40965

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Visitor Center is located on U.S. Highway 25E just south of Middlesboro, Kentucky.

Entrance Fee: $0.00, There is no fee to visit this great park.

Learn more about National Park Passes for parks that have an entrance fee.

$80.00 - For the America the Beautiful/National Park Pass. The pass covers entrance fees to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites for an entire year and covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.

2024 America The Beautiful National Park Pass

Buy your pass at this link, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.

National Park Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the five free entrance days the National Park Service offers annually.

Closest major airport: Knoxville, Tennessee approximately 85 miles away.

Lexington, Kentucky approximately 130 miles away

Public Transportation: There is no public transportation in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.