Escape To Cumberland Gap National Historical Park For A Beautiful Tennessee Nature Scene
By Meghan Kraft|Published June 01, 2022
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Meghan Kraft
Author
Meghan Kraft loves to travel the world, but she makes her home right here in Nashville, Tennessee. She holds a degree in English, and has worked in the digital marketing realm with companies such as Apartments.com, USA Today and HarperCollins Publishing.
There is no shortage of natural beauty in the great state of Tennessee, but most folks don’t realize that the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a part of it. The massive park is best known for its acreage in Kentucky, but the Volunteer State lays claim to a portion of the gorgeous park as well. If you’re a hiker, a bird watcher, or really just a nature lover, the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a perfect spot for a Saturday spent in nature.
The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is best known as a park in Kentucky, but it in fact belongs to Virginia and Tennessee as well. You can hike to the shared state tripoint where there is a stone marker to denote the geographical importance of the spot. There are just 62 areas in the United States where only three states meet, with 35 on dry land and 27 in water.
The Tennessee town of Cumberland Gap is located inside the park’s territory, but the Cumberland Gap Visitor Center is just southeast of Middlesboro, Kentucky. It really is a shared park! If you choose to visit the center, you will be able to learn all about the natural and cultural history of the area.
The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park itself stretches over a whopping 24,000 acres and is known as one of the largest national parks on the eastern edge of the United States. The Cumberland Mountains run over 20 miles through the park, and you can drive through on a scenic route known as the Wilderness Road.
The Wilderness Road runs both across the Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Gap. The scenic route is great for expansive views, and the Pinnacle Overlook is one of the most popular.
The Cumberland Gap is oft referred to as the "Mountain Gateway" to the west, but it was first an important hunting area and settlement for Native Americans. Eventually, an avalanche of 300,000 settlers crossed through the area to expand into the western nation, and it wasn’t until the 20th century that the park was epitomized.
If you visit today, you can explore 85 miles of hiking trails and breathe in deep the smell of unsettled land. The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park boasts some of the most beautiful wilderness in the east, and just under 1 million visitors experience the natural oasis each year.
Have you been to the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park? Did you know it was shared by three states? What a stunning place!
You can learn more about the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park either on its official Facebook page or website here. What a lovely place to visit no matter the time of year! Hikers, we have found your next go-to.
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