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Cumberland Gap National Historic Park
| Established: |
1940 |
| Location: |
Southeastern Kentucky |
| Acres: |
20,312 |
Located at the juncture of Kentucky,
Virginia and Tennessee is Cumberland Gap. A natural
breach through the Appalachian Mountains which is visible
for miles in each direction. Created by stream erosion
that took millions of years to accomplish. Its sides are
lined by steep cliffs that rise a thousand feet above the
valley floor.
The Shawnee and Cherokee Indians were
the first to use the Gap as a path to their favorite
hunting areas. When European settlers began moving West,
local Indians raided their settlements to prevent
competition on their grounds. Making settlement here
difficult and dangerous. In 1774 the Governor of Virginia
declared war on the Shawnee who had been leading these
attacks. After numerous engagements, the Shawnee agreed
to stop terrorizing colonial villages. A short time
later, the Transylvania Company bought the Cherokee
rights to the Gap and hired Daniel Boone to blaze the
path. In 1775 Daniel Boone and thirty frontiersmen blazed
a wilderness path through the Cumberland Gap and founded
the small town of Boonesborough.
Before interstates or for that matter
roads of any kind, the Cumberland Gap was a critical link
between the east and west halves of the nation. The Gap
formed the only passageway for thousands of frontier
settlers. Improvements in the trail enabled the first
wagons to head west in 1796. Up until then, westbound
traffic was on foot or horseback. It is estimated that
over 250,000 settlers passed through Cumberland Gap on
their way West during the few years after these
improvements were made. Cumberland Gap can be credited with being America's first
Gateway to the West.
The main visitor center is located
outside the park's western border near Middlesboro. A
good place to become orientated with park activities.
Highway 25 is the main road through the Gap and leads to
nearby Pinnacle Overlook and Cudjo Caverns. Pinnacle
Overlook provides the best view of the valley and
surrounding mountains from its towering summit. Cudjo
Caverns offers a view at the subterranean world of
limestone and gypsum caves that are common throughout
Kentucky. Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, PO Box
1848, Middlesboro, KY 40965 (606) 248-2817. www.nps.gov/cuga
All text and photos copyright ©1994-2005 Charles A. Read and ScenicUS.
Comments or Suggestions, Contact the Author Charles A. Read.
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