Pioneers crossed Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, as they traveled the Wilderness Road to the West, thanks in large part to Daniel Boone's explorations. Today, Cumberland Gap National Historic Park is the second-largest in the country, with more than 20,000 acres/8,100 hectares in Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. The park's headquarters is in Middlesboro, Kentucky.
The park offers interpretive exhibits, camping, picnicking, demonstrations and backcountry hiking (permits required). Because of its historical importance and its scenic beauty, Cumberland Gap is a must-see, at least for a day. If you have the time, make the hike (or take a four-wheel-drive vehicle) along the Ridge Trail on Brush Mountain to the Hensley Settlement. There, you can see a community of farmsteads that prospered in near-isolation for almost 50 years.
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