The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park was established to preserve the Cumberland Gap, a famous pass through the Cumberland Mountains where the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet. Eroded by wind and water, the Cumberland Gap forms a significant break in the formidable Appalachian Mountain chain, and its breathtaking beauty has been immortalized by artists, poets, novelists, historians, and songwriters throughout the ages. The Gap was first used by large game animals in their migratory journeys, followed by Native Americans, and finally by the settlers of the nation when it saw more than 300,000 people cross between 1775 and 1810.
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, 91 Bartlett Park Road, Middlesboro, KY 40965, Phone: 606-248-2817