Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

National Park Service, Virginia.

Cumberland Gap was the first great gateway to the west. Come follow the path of bison, Native Americans, longhunters, and pioneers. Walk where 300,000 people crossed the Appalachians to settle America. Explore 85 miles of trails and 14,000 acres of wilderness. Stand in 3 states at once. Explore a cave, see Hensley Settlement, or camp under the stars. Come find your connection to Cumberland Gap.

Camping and Day Use

  • Wilderness Road Campground

Nearby Activities

  • Biking
  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Wildlife Viewing

Directions

By Plane The closest major airport is located in Knoxville, Tennessee approximately 85 miles away. Flights can also be made into Lexington, Kentucky approximately 130 miles away. By Car The park entrance is located on Highway 25E just south of Middlesboro Kentucky.

Additional Information

  • Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Map
  • Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Official Website

Photo Gallery

  • A paved road through the woods with alternating paved pull-outs. A red pickup truck pulling a camper is parked in one pull-out.Wilderness Road Campground offers electric and primitive camping for tents and RVs. All campground reservations and payments must be made through recreation.gov.
  • A man stands next to a large columnar cave formation that reaches from floor to ceiling of a cave.Guided tours through Gap Cave are offered from late April through September each year. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the main park visitor center up to one month prior to the tour.
  • A small log cabin and wood fencing in a field, with a forested background of trees with red, green, and orange leaves.Guided tours to the historic Hensley Settlement, a remote, early 1900s Appalachian settlement at the top of Brush Mountain, are offered from late May through October each year. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the main park visitor center up to one month prior to the tour.
  • A group of 6 hikers with backpacks and walking sticks walk on a trail through the forest.The park includes over 24,000 acres, with over 14,000 acres of recommended wilderness and about 85 miles of hiking trails.
  • An open shelter stands at the top of a wooded hill.Visitors can stand in 3 states at the same time at Tri-State Peak, a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) round trip hike.
  • A man hikes in an enormous open cave with a sandy floor.Visiting Sand Cave, a massive sandstone rock shelter, involves hiking about 10 miles (16 km) round trip over moderate to strenuous terrain.
  • Fog rolls over a mountain down into a townPinnacle Overlook offers spectacular mountain views and sometimes an unusual view of a fog phenomenon that resembles a cauldron boiling over. A paved, curvy mountain road allows most visitors to drive up, park close by, and walk out to the overlook on an accessible path. Vehicles over 20 feet (6 m) and those pulling a trailer are prohibited from driving all the way up to the Pinnacle and must stop at the Thomas Walker parking area.
  • A grayish-white, rounded rock cliff in front of a scenic view of forested mountains white with snow.White Rocks offers a challenging hike with magnificent scenic rewards.
  • The sun rises over a V-shaped notch in a forested mountain range.Cumberland Gap was set aside to preserve the First Great Gateway to the West. This V-shaped notch in the formidable Appalachian Mountains was one of few places to safely walk over the mountains and was used by bison, elk, Indigenous Peoples, European explorers, hunters, immigrants, and others for centuries. This opening funneled hundreds of thousands of people across the mountains to spread across and settle the country's interior and played a key role in the formation of the United States.

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