The Cumberland Gap: America’s First Gateway to the West Cumberland Gap The Cumberland Gap: America’s First Gateway to the West American frontiersman Daniel Boone (1734 - 1820), who led the first settlers to Kentucky and founded the town of Boonesborough and marked the Cumberland Gap trail. Getty Images By Erin Mahaney Updated January 21, 2016. The Cumberland Gap is a V-shaped passage through the Appalachian Mountains at the intersection of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Aided by continental shifts, a meteorite impact and flowing water, the Cumberland Gap region has become a visual marvel, and a timeless asset to human and animal migration. Today, the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park acts as a preserve for this historic gateway. Geologic History of Cumberland Gap Beginning over 300 million years ago, geologic processes built the Appalachian Mountains, and later carved through them a passage. The collision of the European and North American continental plates forced present day North America below sea level . The remains of water dwelling creatures settled and formed limestone rock, later overlain by shale and sandstone, providing the groundwork for a pending mountain range.

Roughly 100 million years later, North America collided with Africa, causing the young pliable rock to fold and uplift. continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance This collision resulted in the rippled and crumpled appearance of the United States eastern seaboard, now known as the Appalachian Mountains. It is widely accepted that the Cumberland Gap in Appalachia was formed by flowing water during the continental plate collisions. A recent theory belonging to historical geographer Barry Vann suggests a more complex narrative. Running water did indeed have a role in forming the gap, but science indicates its creation was aided by an impact from outer space. The Cumberland Gap is a passageway running through Cumberland Mountain at the Virginia-Kentucky border. Lying south of the Middlesboro Basin in Kentucky, geologists have found evidence of an ancient meteor crater adjacent to the Cumberland Gap. Creating the now hidden Middlesboro Crater, this violent impact excavated portions of loose soil and rock from nearby mountains. This shaped the passage and allowed water to flow through, helping carve the Cumberland Gap into what it is today. An American Gateway The Appalachian Mountains have long been an obstacle in animal migration, and American westward expansion.

It is reported that there are only three natural pathways through the treacherous valleys and ridges, one being the Cumberland Gap. During the last ice age, herds of animals in search of food and warmth used this passage to migrate south. The trail became an asset to Native American groups as well, assisting them during times of war and westward migration. With time and European influence, this rustic footpath became a refined road. During the 1600s, European hunters spread word about a notch cutting through the mountains. In 1750, physician and explorer Thomas Walker encountered this Appalachian wonder. After exploring a nearby cavern, he referred to it as “Cave Gap”. He came upon a river just north of the gap and named it “Cumberland” after the Duke of Cumberland, son of King George II. The Cumberland Gap passage was named after Walker’s Cumberland River. In 1775, Daniel Boone and a party of woodsmen were the first to mark the Cumberland Gap trail, as they traveled from Virginia to Kentucky. After the passage gained a steady stream of settlers, the state of Kentucky was admitted into the Union. Up until 1810, the Cumberland Gap was known as “the way West”.

Between the 18th and 19th centuries it served as a travel corridor for over 200,000 migrants. The Cumberland Gap remained a major route for travel and trade during the 20th century. Cumberland Gap 21st Century Operation In 1980, engineers began a seventeen-year feat at the Cumberland Gap. Completed in October of 1996, the 280 million dollar Cumberland Gap Tunnel is 4,600 feet long. The east entrance is in Tennessee, and the west entrance is in Kentucky. Although the Gap exists at the intersection of Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia, the tunnel itself just misses the state of Virginia by 1,000 feet. This four-lane tunnel is an asset to transportation throughout the region. Providing a direct link between the town of Middlesboro, Kentucky and Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, the tunnel replaces a two-mile section of the U.S. Route 25E. Previously known as “Massacre Mountain”, the U.S. 25E followed the historic wagon trail, and the dangerous curves of the primitive passage.

This highway has seen many deaths, and Kentucky officials say the Cumberland Gap Tunnel is safer for motorists, eliminating much of the hazard. According to a 1996 article from the Lexington-Herald Leader, the Cumberland Gap Tunnel “has spurred highway expansion in three states, hopes for tourism in small communities near the Gap, and dreams of restoring the wilderness trail that Daniel Boone blazed in the 1700s”. By the year 2020, the number of cars passing through the Gap per day is expected to climb to 35,000. Cumberland Gap National Park The Cumberland Gap National Historic Park extends for 20 miles and ranges between one and four miles in width. It is over 20,000 acres, 14,000 of which remain wilderness. Regional flora and fauna include nearly 60 rare plant species, an abundance of kudzu, wild turkey and black bear, among an assortment of others. Featuring historic buildings and caves, the park offers visitors a glimpse of what helped shape the nation. They can trace the experiences of early explorers through hiking trails, scenic vistas, guided tours, and cave expeditions.

Cumberland Gap, Tennessee Cradled at the foot of the Cumberland Mountains , the town of Cumberland Gap is known for its historic charm. Visitors can enjoy a view of the town and tri-state area from 1,200 feet at a nearby mountain peak called Pinnacle Overlook. The town is quaint, and has merely three humble lodging establishments. There are unique craft and antique shops, restoring the spirit of colonial America. According to one visitor, “Cumberland Gap is kinda like walking into a Norman Rockwell Painting”. From the national park and historic town, to the geologic and technological splendor that is Cumberland Gap, this region is certainly worth a second glance. Cumberland Gap | mountain pass, United States | Britannica.com Cumberland Gap Thermopylae Cumberland Gap, natural pass (elevation 1,640 feet [500 metres]) that was cut through the Cumberland Plateau in the eastern United States by former stream activity. It is located near the point where Kentucky , Virginia , and Tennessee meet between Middlesboro, Kentucky, and the town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. The pass was discovered in 1750 by Thomas Walker, and the Wilderness Road blazed by Daniel Boone runs through it.

Named for the duke of Cumberland, son of George II , it became the main artery of trans-Allegheny migration that opened the Northwest Territory for settlement and permitted the extension of the western boundary of the 13 colonies to the Mississippi River . During the American Civil War the strategic gap was held alternately by Confederate and Union troops. Pinnacle Overlook in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. D. Muench/H. Armstrong Roberts In 1940, 32 square miles (83 square km) of the plateau, with the gap as the central feature, were authorized to be set aside as the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park . Learn More in these related articles: Daniel Boone c. November 2, 1734 Berks county, Pennsylvania [U.S.] c. September 26, 1820 St. Charles county, Missouri, U.S. early American frontiersman and legendary hero who helped blaze a trail through Cumberland Gap, a notch in the Appalachian Mountains near the juncture of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.... Cumberland Gap National Historical Park National historical park, Tennessee, U.S.

Created in 1940 to preserve the Cumberland Gap, a natural pass at 1,640 ft (500 m) through the Cumberland Plateau, it includes the Wilderness Road, blazed by Daniel Boone, which became the main artery that opened the Northwest Territory. The park covers 32... in Kentucky (state, United States): Population composition ...those of many of his countrymen. Born in Pennsylvania, Boone moved as a youth down the Great Appalachian Valley of Virginia into North Carolina, where he lived until he led new settlers through Cumberland Gap to Kentucky. The best agricultural land was in the Bluegrass region, and this was the first area to be settled. The eastern mountains, the poorest agricultural region, were settled... 5 References found in Britannica Articles Assorted References Cumberland Gap - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) A natural mountain pass called the Cumberland Gap is located in the eastern United States, near the point where Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee meet. It lies between Middlesboro, Kentucky, and the town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. The pass was cut through the Cumberland Plateau division of the Appalachian Mountains by streams many years ago. Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article!

Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources. At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed.

Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: December 14, 2007 URL: Access Date: December 17, 2016 Share The Cumberland Gap - Back in Time - General Highway History - Highway History - Federal Highway Administration Federal Highway Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 The Cumberland Gap By Rickie Longfellow The Cumberland Gap, which measures 1,304 feet in altitude, is Nature's passage through the Cumberland Mountains between Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. One of three natural breaks in the rugged Appalachian Mountain range, it served as a gateway in prehistoric times, when Native Americans used it as a footpath and buffalo used it to seek greener pastures. In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker, an English naturalist and scientist, led a small party of explorers to the Gap after hearing Native American descriptions of the pathway through, rather than over the mountains. Walker called it the Cave Gap, and named the river north of the pass the Cumberland River, after the Duke of Cumberland, son of Britain's King George II, who funded Walker and his group.

In 1769, Daniel Boone explored the area and in 1775 he blazed the 200-mile trail known as Boone's Path or Boone's Road. The trail, beginning at the Gap, passed through Virginia to Kentucky's Bluegrass Region. View of Cumberland Gap from the east. Photo from the Wilderness Road Company Web Site. If the journey was not treacherous enough, there was also the occasional massacre by renegade natives. During the summer and fall of 1784, more than 100 travelers were killed on the Kentucky side of the gap. Like the ill-fated Donner Party, travelers had to abandon wagons full of household necessities in bad weather to travel the narrow gap by foot or horse. By 1796 it was known as the Wilderness Road having seen as many as 200,000 travelers, including Abraham Lincoln's parents and grandparents as they emigrated west. The Gap was then widened to allow Conestoga Wagons through to lands west.The Gap was used for commerce by 1800. Kentuckians drove long lines of horses and cattle through the Gap to the markets in the east.

But by the 1830s, other east/west routes had been established, including the National Road, causing the Gap's popularity to decline. During the Civil War both North and South held the Gap, prepared for an invasion that never happened. Both sides cleared and chopped the terrain. On September 9, 1863 a soldier from the 125th Ohio, O.G. Swingburg, wrote, "The trees, which had formerly covered the mountains were all cut down. Their trunks lie tangled and scattered in all directions to prevent rapid charges of infantry. Surely, a valley of death could not have been more skillfully constructed. All who walked that road today would agree that had the charge been made, it would have been the last road walked in eternity. It would have been murder to have ordered that assault." In 1866, the Federal Army abandoned the road after exchanging it several times with the Confederacy. The Cumberland Gap Tunnel. This is the Tennessee portal where you can see the viaduct approach to the tunnel. Photo by H.B. Elkins.

Photo from the Cumberland Gap Tunnel Web Site Then the railroads came, but they bypassed the Gap after the Civil War, further easing east /west travel. The arrival of the automobile rekindled interest in using the Gap again. In 1908, the U.S. government built a "macadamized" road (layers of compacted broken stone) connecting Middlesboro, Kentucky to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, and called it the Government Pike. The new road passed by Soldier's Cave, which became a tourist attraction, bringing more automobiles to the area. In 1916, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee built a similar road connecting the Government Pike to the "Dixie Highway" system. In 1920, Lincoln Memorial University bought the Gap and tourist attraction "Cudjo's Cave" and surrounding land. In 1925, the Gap was included in the planning of U.S. Highways, on U.S. 411's planned route from Bristol, Virginia, to Corbin, Kentucky. The Tennessee approach was not included, as it had been in the Dixie Highway. U.S. 25 had been assigned to much of the Dixie Highway.

By 1926, U.S. 25 was split with an eastern leg passing through the Cumberland Gap. U.S. 58 replaced U.S. 411 in 1934. In the 1940's, The Cumberland Gap National Historic Park was established to protect and control the 20,000 acres of forested mountain. The tourism of the Cave was booming and with electricity installed, accommodations for overnight lodging was provided. Tennessee shares Cumberland Gap National Historic Park with Kentucky and Virginia, where the famous mountain pass lies. In the 1990s, the Cumberland Gap Tunnel, a four-lane twin-bore mountain tunnel 4,600 feet long, was built under the mountain to replace the dangerous Gap road. The Federal Highway Administration's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division administered the tunnel project for the National Park Service. The tab was $280 million, more than twice the estimate, since the old mountain had some surprises for the engineers-a system of underground streams. The old Gap road was closed, with an estimated 5 deaths per year attributed to it.

The Federal Highway Administration spent about $5 million to remove all traces of the old road on the Kentucky-Virginia border and to restore the land to its original beauty. Talented work crews using descriptions from old journals and maps have recreated the terrain to the appearance Daniel Boone first saw. The Cumberland Gap has come full circle through time-the man-made road is gone and the ancient trails returned. Web Sources: Old US 25E : Crossing the Cumberland Gap More Information Daniel Boone National Forest - About the Forest Daniel Boone National Forest Winchester, KY 40391 859-745-3100 The office in Winchester, KY is an administration and information office and is not actually in the forest. The Name Cumberland Where did the name “Cumberland” start? Cumberland Gap was named for Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, who had many places named for him in the American colonies after the Battle of Culloden. The explorer Thomas Walker gave the name to the Cumberland River in 1750, and the name soon spread to many other features in the region, such as the Cumberland Gap.

Many places in the American colonies were named after him, including the Cumberland River, the Cumberland Gap, the Cumberland Plateau, and the Cumberland Mountains, in addition to several counties and towns named "Cumberland" in the mid-18th century. Prince William County, Virginia is also named for him. Cumberland National Forest The Daniel Boone National Forest was originally named Cumberland National Forest. On February 23, 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt officially proclaimed the creation of the Cumberland National Forest. On April 11, 1966, the name was officially changed to the Daniel Boone National Forest. Cumberland Ranger District Cumberland Ranger District is the northernmost district on the Daniel Boone National Forest. It was formed, during forest reorganization, from Stanton Ranger District and Morehead Ranger District. It is part of the Daniel Boone National Forest and is managed by the Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. Cumberland Falls Cumberland Falls , sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South, or the Great Falls, is a large waterfall on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky.

Spanning the river at the border of McCreary and Whitley counties, the waterfall is the central feature of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park . On average the falls, which flow over a resistant sandstone bed, are 68 feet high and 125 feet wide, with an average water flow of 3,600 cubic feet per second. Under a full moon on clear nights, an elusive lunar rainbow or moonbow is sometimes formed by the mist emanating from the falls. Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is a state park located just southwest of Corbin, Kentucky and is contained entirely within the Daniel Boone National Forest but is operated by the Kentucky State Parks, a state agency. Amenities includes Dupont Lodge, Woodland Rooms, Cottages, a campground and the Riverview Restaurant. Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is 688 miles long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before draining into the Ohio River at Smithland, Kentucky.

The Cumberland River is a wild river above the headwaters of Lake Cumberland. Most of the river below Lake Cumberland's Wolf Creek Dam is navigable because of several locks and dams. A 90-mile section of its Big South Fork is protected by the National Park Service as Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area . Lake Cumberland Lake Cumberland is a reservoir in Clinton, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne counties in Kentucky. The primary reasons for its construction were a means for flood control and the production of hydroelectric power. Its shoreline measures 1,255 miles and the lake is spread over 65,530 acres at the top of the power pool. The lake has become a major source of tourism and an economic engine for south-central Kentucky. Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the dissected plateau lands lying west of the main Appalachian Mountains.

The terms stem from historical usage rather than geological difference, so there is no strict dividing line between the two. Two major rivers share the names of the plateaus, with the Allegheny River rising in the Allegheny Plateau and the Cumberland River rising in the Cumberland Plateau. At Kentucky's Pottsville Escarpment, which is the transition from the Cumberland Plateau to the Bluegrass in the north and the Pennyrile in the south, there are many spectacular cliffs, gorges, rockhouses, natural bridges, and waterfalls. Cumberland Mountains The Cumberland Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains. They are located in western Virginia, eastern edges of Kentucky, and eastern middle Tennessee, including the Crab Orchard Mountains. Their highest peak, with an elevation of 4,145 feet above mean sea level, is Black Mountain, which is located near Lynch in Harlan County, Kentucky.

According to the USGS, the Cumberland Mountain range is 131 miles long and 20 miles wide, bounded by Russell Fork River on the northeast, Pound River and Powell River on the southeast, Cove Creek on the southwest, and Tackett Creek, Cumberland River, Poor Fork Cumberland River, and Elkhorn Creek on the northwest. The crest of the range forms the Kentucky and Virginia boundary from the Tennessee border to Russell Fork River. Variant names of the Cumberland Mountains include Cumberland Mountain, Cumberland Range, Ouasioto Mountains, Ouasiota Mountains, Laurel Mountain, and Pine Mountain. Cumberland Gap Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. Famous in American history for its role as one key passageway through the lower central Appalachians, it was an important part of the Wilderness Road and is now part of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The Cumberland Gap was discovered in 1750 by Dr. Thomas Walker, a Virginia physician and explorer.

Long used by Native Americans, the path was widened by a team of loggers led by Daniel Boone, making it accessible to pioneers, who used it to journey into the western frontiers of Kentucky and Tennessee. Cumberland Gap is located just north of the spot where the current-day states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet. The nearby town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee takes its name from the pass. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park (operated by the Park Service) located at the border between Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Cumberland Gap is a sizable natural break in the Appalachian Mountains. The gap was long used by Native Americans, as many species of migratory animals passed through it from north to south each year. Starting around 1775, the Gap became the primary route of transit for American settlers moving west into Kentucky; between 1775 and 1810 as many as 300,000 settlers may have used the Gap.

This national park preserves the natural beauty of the surrounding area while focusing more on historic preservation, including tours through the old Hensley Settlement, trips into Gap Cave, also known as Cudjo's Cave, (once used for shelter by traveling Indians and settlers), campfire programs and demonstrations of the settlers' lifestyle, Living History events, and Appalachian music festivals and concerts. The former roadbed of US 25E through the park was restored to an early 19th century wagon path; this was made possible with the 1996 completion of the Cumberland Gap Tunnel , which rerouted US 25E under the park. Alerts & Warnings Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service) Contact Us Mountain Gateway At Cumberland Gap, the first great gateway to the west, follow the buffalo, the Native American, the longhunter, the pioneer... all traveled this route through the mountains into the wilderness of Kentucky. Modern day explorers and travelers stand in awe at this great gateway and the many miles of trails and scenic features found in the park. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Loading the player... Transcript Ascend to Cumberland Gap and enter a place of exquisite beauty.

A place marked by the passage of time, ancient geologic forces, the migration of wildlife, and the comings and goings of diverse people. Explore Cumberland Gap and witness nature's ever-changing story. Hear the voices of people who found a way of life on this landscape and follow in the footsteps of pioneers who passed through on their way to build a nation. The quiet forest, stretching over gentle rounded mountains, seen from pinnacle overlook, belies the turmoil of eons past. Millions of years ago, two geological plates collided here pushing up a chain of mountains, forming an impenetrable barrier. Over time, streams carved through the stone. Valleys formed and a natural gap emerged, a chance opening through the Appalachians. (Dr. Thomas Clark, Kentucky's Historian Laureate for Life) "We're standing 2,400 feet above sea level. We can easily appreciate the barrier between east and west these mountains formed. You can also appreciate the importance of this natural opening cutting through them. Cumberland Gap is remarkable in history. It's the best natural pass way through the Appalachian chain for a hundred miles in either direction." Over the centuries a procession of life flowed through the slender gap.

Bison traced the first path, migrating to grazing pastures and salt licks. Cherokee and Shawnee followed, forging trails that connected the Ohio Valley to the Potomac River. (Lathel F. Duffield, Ph.D., Cultural Historian and Member, Cherokee Nation) "The Cumberland Gap was very important to the Native Americans in the Southeastern United States. It provided a route from the east to the west and has been used for trade for thousands of years. The pathway now is also known as the warrior's path and it was named for the raiding parties coming through the Cumberland Gap area with the idea of raiding villages and collecting coup and honors." Early explorers like Dr. Thomas Walker followed the Native American network of trails looking for new land for the expanding colonies. Daniel Boone and his men later pushed through these dark forests marking a passageway westward. Called wilderness trail, it led to the fertile fields of Kentucky. (Felix Walker) "It appeared that nature had spread a feast for all the lives. We felt ourselves to be passengers through a wilderness just arrived at the garden where there was no forbidden fruit." Pioneer soon followed drawn by dreams of a new life in a young expanding nation.

Farmers and doctors, servants and slaves filed through the Gap, first in a trickle then in a flood until nearly 300,000 had crossed over into Kentucky and beyond. Once established they sent an abundance of goods back homeward making the trail a vital route for commerce. Cumberland Gap was America's gateway west. (General George Morgan) "Cumberland Gap is the strongest position I have ever seen, except Gibraltar." During the Civil War both Union and Confederate armies viewed the Gap as a strategic military site. Their troops fortified the area rendering it impassible. (U.G. Owen) "We are at the roughest place in the world, camped on a mountain at the Gap. It is so cold that I can scarcely write this evening. Don't know how long we will stay here." Bad weather also made supply routes unreliable and without adequate supplies, starvation, illness, and low morale set in, ultimately forcing troops to surrender their strongholds. The Gap changed hands several times without any major battles. Long before the Civil War, Cumberland Gap had ceased being the nation's gateway. Canals, then the railroad, offered easier ways west. In time, a new kind of pioneer would arrive.

One who would settle down and call this place home. Sherman and Nicey Ann Hensley and Willie and Nancy Gibbons came to Brush Mountain a century ago. On an isolated plateau 12 miles east of the Gap they established "Hensley Settlement". Here they grew their own crops, built homes and schools in rough-hewn chestnut, and made do with belongings and tools they created themselves. Over nearly five decades this self-sufficient community grew to about a hundred people living life attuned to nature's rhythms. Today, Cumberland Gap offers all a chance to witness the imprint of seasons on the landscape and go beneath the surface where underground cathedrals await the curious. (Cave Guide) "This cave is alive because of the geological upheaval that happened hundreds of millions of years ago. What you're basically seeing is an ancient seabed on top of a mountain." In Gap Cave, nature's story is etched in rock and sand. New chapters are being written as each persistent drop of water helps form stalactites and stalagmites. Human history is also etched in the rock. Marks of Civil War soldiers scratched long ago their witness to that chapter in history. Cumberland Gap continues to draw people to its mountains and valleys.

Along more than 70 miles of trails, those who explore are rewarded with groves of hemlock, fields of wildflowers, meadows of rhododendron and fiddle ferns, and the chance to experience the legacy traced by bison, traveled by Cherokee and Shawnee, and crossed by explorers and pioneers on their way to transform a nation. In the words of author James Allen, "The utter silence and repose of primeval nature was around us. By and by, we lost sight of the heavens altogether, so dense and interlace the forest. Cumberland Gap, that high swung gateway through the mountain abides is a landmark of what nature can do when she wishes to give an opportunity to the human race in its migrations and discoveries." eParks.com: The Cumberland Gap Area Guidebook - eParks - Where your purchase supports America's National Parks. Description: A pass in the Cumberland Mountain range of the Appalachian Mountains, Cumberland Gap has been valued for centuries by both man and beast alike for its passage through the range. A vast wilderness area, it provides numerous recreational and sightseeing opportunities.

This book is a traveler's guide, providing detailed information and observations about various aspects of the region, including: some of the hiking areas; travel routes such as the Cumberland Gap Tunnel and US Highway 58; towns such as Middlesborough, Kentucky, and Pineville, Kentucky; colleges and universities; and more. Product Details Dimensions: 8 1/2'' W x 11'' H Softcover, 83 pages by Tom N. Shattuck Includes appendix and black-and-white photographs and maps 5th edition with expanded material ISBN: 0-9677765-3-8 Pound Gap | ExploreKYHistory By Tim Talbott Historical Marker #510 in Letcher County notes the history of Pound Gap, a natural pass in the Appalachian/Pine Mountain range. Early explorers moving west looked for natural passes through the rugged Appalachian Mountains. Many of these passes were marked by centuries-old trails, made first by animal herds of buffalo and elk, and later used by Native Americans. These trails led through the paths of least resistance and thus utilized natural gaps in the mountain ridges.

Like Cumberland Gap to the south, Pound Gap, on the Virginia-Kentucky state line, was an early entry point for pioneer explorers and settlers. In 1751, surveyors for the Ohio Company, including Christopher Gist, explored through Pound Gap. For the next several decades, hunters including Daniel Boone used Pound Gap as an entry point into Kentucky. By about 1800, pioneer settlers, especially from the western counties of Virginia, made Pound Gap their main point of entry in addition to Cumberland Gap. In 1834, the Kentucky legislature allocated funds to improve the road from Mount Sterling to Pound Gap. This enhanced thoroughfare allowed Kentucky farmers to move their herds of livestock to multiple southern markets. During the Civil War, Pound Gap was used by both Union and Confederate armies. In March 1862, General (and future president) James Garfield reported, "Just returned from a 4 day expedition to Pound Gap. Took 600 infantry and 100 cavalry. On 16th attacked 500 rebels under Maj. J. B. Thompson intrenched at Pound Gap on summit of Cumberland Mountains. Fight lasted less than 20 minutes, rebels totally routed.

They abandoned everything." In 1864, during a raid toward central Kentucky, Confederate cavalry under John Hunt Morgan forced a small Union detachment from Pound Gap. Later, Morgan used the gap as an evacuation route out of the state. Today, US Highway 23 runs through Pound Gap. The natural beauty of the mountains of eastern Kentucky and southwestern Virginia are enjoyed by thousands of travelers who pass through this historic gateway every day. Images Pound Gap This early 20th century photograph shows Pine Mountain as it slopes toward Pound Gap. Courtesy of the Kentucky Historical Society. View File Details Page Pound Gap This early 20th century photograph shows Pound Gap in Pine Mountain. Courtesy of the Kentucky Historical Society. View File Details Page Mountain Road at Pound Gap This photograph shows horse riders on a mountain road at Pound Gap. Courtesy of the Kentucky Historical Society. View File Details Page Cite this Page: Sherpa Guides | Virginia | Mountains | Appalachian Plateau | Cumberland Mountain Sherpa Guides > Virginia Mountains > The Appalachian Plateau > Cumberland Mountain Cumberland Mountain [ Fig. 5 (6), Fig. 6 ] The name comes from England's duke of Cumberland.

But this long and narrow mountain in Virginia's southwest corner has a history that goes back much further in time than any English duke. Cumberland Mountain is part of a huge, four-sided block of the earth's crust forced upward in ancient times. Today, it defines the eastern edge of the Appalachian Plateau in Virginia. Its twin, Pine Mountain [ Fig. 5 (8), Fig. 8 ], is 25 miles west, on the other side of the block. The two are mirror images of each other for most of their length. Pine Mountain's steepest slope is on its northwest side, while Cumberland's is on its southeast side. Pine Mountain has exposed limestone on its northwest slope and sandstone on its southeast slope. Cumberland Mountain is just the opposite. Cumberland Mountain has an extensive limestone cave system on the Virginia side. But one of its most prominent features, Sand Cave [ Fig. 6 (2)] on the Kentucky side, is sculpted from sandstone. How these mountains were created affects everything from geological formations to the color of hepatica. The flower is a delicate pink in limestone soil on the Virginia side, but it is generally white in sandstone and shales on the Kentucky side.

In springtime, on rocky slopes at higher elevations, stands of Catawba rhododendron (Rhododendron) display stunning purple blossoms. Birds typical of eastern deciduous forests are abundant here: the wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), hermit thrush (Hylocichla guttata faxoni), veery (Hylocichla fuscescens), red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceus), scarlet tanager (Piranga olivacea), and many varieties of warblers, to name a few. The southern end of the mountain begins at Cove Lake State Park at Caryville, Tennessee. With one exceptionwhere Big Creek comes through at Ivydell, TennesseeCumberland Mountain remains unbroken until it arrives in Virginia. At the Virginia/Tennessee/Kentucky border is Cumberland Gap, carved out in the mountain's infancy by Yellow Creek. Originally, the creek flowed east into the Powell River. For awhile the creek continued to flow east, carving through the new mountain. But Cumberland Mountain rose too fast, and Yellow Creek was diverted westward to the Kentucky side, where it remains today.

Cumberland Mountain continues its journey to the northeast, defining the Virginia/Kentucky border with its ridgeline. On its northern end, the same mountain is called Stone Mountain. Once the Kentucky border veered off to the west, Virginians claimed the rest of the mountain for their own with a different name. The lines of Cumberland's northeast end are more blurred than those of its Pine Mountain twin. What started as Cumberland ends as Stone, gradually losing its identity where the Plateau bulges into Virginia. Cumberland Gap [ Fig. 7 ] What a sight it must have been. Standing at the narrow, 2-mile-wide notch, or gap, on Cumberland Mountain, a visitor with lots of timesay, a couple of centurieswould have had the privilege of watching one of America's most unusual animal and human migrations. First it was woodland bison (Bison bison pennsylvania), elk (Cervus canadensis), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) that trampled a trail through this natural doorway to the salt licks and ample food of bluegrass Kentucky beyond the mountain barrier.

Bands of Shawnee and Cherokee indians followed the animals to the rich hunting grounds, and sometimes raiding parties followed one another. So many bleached bones of rival Indian tribes littered the trail from the Potomac River south through Cumberland Gap then north to the Ohio River that the route came to be called Warrior's Path. Then in 1750, white explorers led by Dr. Thomas Walker found this narrow pass through the Appalachian Mountains, of which the Cumberland range is a part. With only primitive transportation, restless colonists along the eastern seaboard had been stymied all along the mountain wall. Also, French settlers and allied tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy made the western frontier beyond the mountains dangerous to explore. Shawnees, distressed at encroachment on their rich Kentucky hunting grounds by white trappers and settlers, became increasingly belligerent. In 1774, at Point Pleasant, Kentucky, the Shawnees and a confederacy of Delaware, Wyandot, Cayuga, and other Indian tribes led by Cornstalk lost a bloody battle with Virginia settlers and militia.

To save their families, the Shawnees gave up rights to their hunting grounds by signing the Treaty of Camp Charlotte in 1774. The 1775 Treaty of Sycamore Shoals ended most troubles with the Iroquois Confederacy. Then Daniel Boone and 30 men marked and cleared the Wilderness Trail through Cumberland Gap into Kentucky. Hunters began crossing the mountain through the gap, and they were followed by waves of land-hungry immigrants. By the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, an impressive stream of 12,000 people had crossed into the new territory. The stream became a river, then a torrent. By 1792, the population west of the gap was more than 100,000, and Kentucky was invited to join the Union. As the century came to a close, traffic on the Wilderness Road continued day and night. The curses of oxen drivers and the bawl of cattle mingled with the jingle of horse harnesses and the groans of loaded wagons struggling across Cumberland Gap.

By 1800, just 50 years after it was discovered by Walker, the famous gap had funneled more than a third of a million people from the East to the new lands of the West. Very soon, those headed west were met by thousands of head of cattle, pigs, sheep, and turkeys being driven east through the gap as the first settlers moved their cash crops to coastal markets. Cumberland Gap declined in importance only after easier routes were established in the 1820s and 1830s by dredging canals such as the Erie, Pennsylvania Main Line, and Chesapeake and Ohio. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park [ Fig. 5(7), Fig. 6 , Fig. 7 ] The National Park Service provides the perfect way to become immersed in the rich human and natural history of Cumberland Mountain. Occupying 20,000 acres of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park straddles the mountain for 20 miles along Virginia's southwest border. No words on a page can demonstrate as well as the view along the historic Wilderness Road (US 58 from the Virginia side) what a formidable barrier this mountain wall presented to the early settlers.

At the visitor center [ Fig. 7 (15)] on US 25E at Middlesboro, Kentucky, a brochure and trail map are available. Most visitors to the park take the winding mountain road from the visitor center up to Pinnacle Overlook. There they are treated to spectacular views into Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennesseea panoramic landscape where cascading ridgelines fade from deep blue up close to soft lavender in the distance. In autumn, local bird watchers gather at the Pinnacle. Migrant birds and butterflies use the Cumberland's updrafts to soar or flutter their way to the balmy Gulf states and beyond. Early on an October morning, as many as 50 to 100 hawks and other birds of prey lift off at the gap. The raptors catch a thermal, rising in ascending circles high above, then coasting out of sight on another day's journey to the southwest. Frequent visitors have come to appreciate the interpretive programs on subjects as varied as meteor showers, autumn hawk migration, and geologic formations. For a summer program called Pioneer Camp, park rangers dress as early pioneers called long hunters.

They fire black-powder long rifles, tan hides, and cook stew over an open fire. For children, the park has a program called Kids Explore Cumberland Gap. Children are taught how to use a compass and map, identify birds by sound, and survey a stream by wading in to search for aquatic insects, crayfish, and snails. One way people appreciate Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is by hiking its 50 miles of trails. The park's best features take time to enjoy. These include the Skylight Cave [ Fig. 7 (13)], Hensley Settlement [ Fig. 6 (1)], Sand Cave [ Fig. 6 (2)], and White Rocks [ Fig. 6 (4), Fig. 7 (4)], not to mention the wildflowers, wildlife, tumbling streams, talus slopes (boulderfields), and scenic views open only to the hiker or horseback rider. On the Virginia side of the mountain, 1.3 miles east of the Kentucky line, a road leads off US 58 to the park's Wilderness Road Campground [ Fig. 6 (14)], where 160 forested, spacious sites offer privacy.

Around the campground are the Virginia pine (Pinus virginiana), dogwood (Cornus florida), yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), and red maple (Acer rubrum) characteristic of intermediate succession. Severe windstorms around the vulnerable border of this cleared area have blown down the oaks, hickories, and beech typical of the northern hardwood forest that covers most of the mountain. A mile-long trail from the picnic area adjacent to the campground leads to Skylight Cave [ Fig. 7 (13)]. The 200-foot-long limestone cavern is safe to explore. One-quarter mile past the cave, this trail intersects the Ridge Trail [ Fig. 7 (10) Fig. 6 (13)]. Directions: The visitor center and road to the Pinnacle Overlook are on US 25E, just east of Middlesboro, KY. The Wilderness Road campground and picnic area are on US 58 in Virginia's southwest tip. From the visitor center, go 3 miles east on US 25E, through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel [ Fig. 6 (13)] to US 58, and continue 1.3 miles to the campground and picnic area on the left.

Continue east on US 58 in Virginia to access trailheads on the park's southeast slope. Activities: Hiking, including self-guided nature trails and overnight trails. Camping, picnicking, interpretive programs, fishing for children only in Little Yellow Creek (no license required), bicycling, horseback riding, horse camping. Caving in Cudjo's Cave will resume when Cumberland Gap is restored in several years. Facilities: Visitor center at Middlesboro, KY. Campground with 160 sites on US 58 in Virginia with picnic tables, grills, and paved pull-ins, including some that will accommodate large trailers and RVs (no hookups). Restrooms have hot showers. Four primitive campgrounds on Ridge Trail are accessible by foot only (permit required at visitor center). Amphitheater for seasonal music and craft demonstrations and interpretive programs. Bicycling (.75-mile trail). Horseback riding on many trails (brochure available) and horse camping by permit near Hensley Settlement. Dates: Open year-round; hours for visitor center and shuttle are seasonal. Fees: There is no charge for admission or backcountry camping; a fee is charged for camping at the main campground.

Closest town: Middlesboro, KY, is just west of visitor center. Cumberland Gap, TN, is on east side of tunnel. For more information: Superintendent, Cumberland Gap NHP, Box 1848, Middlesboro, KY 40965. Phone (606) 248-2817. Hensley Settlement [ Fig. 6 (1)] Still standing on a plateau in a remote clearing, high atop Cumberland Mountain, are houses, barns, and fences of several restored farmsteads from the early 1900s. Established by Sherman Hensley in approximately 1904, the little community of about 12 families constructed buildings from hand-hewn chestnut logs and topped them with shake roofs. Isolated from civilization, community members survived through their own cunning and skill. Hundreds of people assemble at the Hensley Settlement on a Saturday night around August 12 each year for a program called Shooting Star Spectacular. The evening is set to coincide with the literally stellar performance of the Perseid Meteor Shower, an annual heavenly phenomenon. On this occasion, private vehicles are allowed on the road to the Hensley Settlement.

The clearing is located along the Ridge Trail 12 miles from the Pinnacle and just west of Chadwell Gap [ Fig. 7 (7)] at 3,358 feet. Shuttles, when they are running, offer an easy journey along the Shillalah Creek Trail [ Fig. 7 (5)] from the Kentucky side of Cumberland Mountain to the settlement. Dates: If funded, open Junemid-Aug. Fees: A fee is charged for the shuttle. Cudjo 's Cave [ Fig. 6 (11)] Temporarily closed to tourism, this cave is located on the Virginia side of the gap on a portion of US 25E no longer in use since the completion of the tunnel through the mountain in 1996. Rising from the cave's limestone floor is the largest known stalagmitea giant that brings to mind California's sequoias. Left to a consistently cool silence punctuated only by slow limestone drips are several species of bats. Unimpressed by Cudjo's monstrous stalagmite, these nocturnal mammals spend much of their lives suspended upside-down among the stalactites of the cave ceiling.

Included is the endangered Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis). When the gap is restored to resemble the Wilderness Road as it was in the late 1700s, wild cave expeditions will begin. The path will be lighted from lanterns attached to cavers' heads rather than from the colored lights that wash the walls of commercial caves. Sand Cave [ Fig. 6 (2)] This giant overhang of sandstone (40 to 80 feet high and approximately 150 feet wide) is easily the most outstanding geological feature in the park. Sand Cave, carved by the weathering effects of wind and rain, is an example of "headward erosion." In another few million years the park superintendent predicts there will be "a jim-dandy arch." Headward erosion may take its time, but the result will be an impressive natural tunnel. The cave, located on the Kentucky side of Cumberland Mountain ridge, is a carrot on a stick to hikers along the Ridge Trail. The trail to the cave leads off the Ridge Trail 16 miles northeast of the Pinnacle Overlook. Sand Cave is also accessible by a strenuous climb up the Ewing Trail at the park's east end.

This route is 8 miles round-trip. But timing a trek to coincide with spring wildflowers will double the reward for a hiker's effort. Hiking Trails at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Fifty miles of well-maintained hiking trails provide the best opportunity to become familiar with Cumberland Mountain. These trails range from short, paved paths accessing overlooks to rugged climbs over sandstone boulders as big as houses. Skylight Cave [ Fig. 7 (13)], Sand Cave [ Fig. 6 (2)], and White Rocks [ Fig. 6 (4), Fig. 7 (4)] are accessible by trail spurs off the main Ridge Trail [ Fig. 7 (10)]. At present, biking is allowed only on the .75-mile trail at the visitor center [ Fig. 7 (15)] and on the old highway through the gap, until restoration begins. Construction of a multiuse trail will add variety for mountain bikers in the near future. Around the campground, the park service has added wood chips to the natural forest floor of the hiking trails. Trails are not blazed, but are easy to follow, with handrails and bridges along the way.

Though mountainous and strenuous at times, the park trails are not difficult, except for the Chadwell Gap Trail [ Fig. 7 (8)]. Allow yourself extra time to rest along this 1.5-mile steep ascent up the south slope of Cumberland Mountain. From the trailhead at VA 688 north of Caylor, you'll climb to 3,385 feet at the summit. Also, the last 2 miles of the 5-mile Gibson Gap Trail [ Fig. 7 (14)] are moderately strenuous, as it winds its way from the main campground up to the backcountry campground at Gibson Gap [ Fig. 7 (11)]. Spring wildflowers are especially picturesque on the Virginia side of the mountain along the short Skylight Cave Trail [ Fig. 7 (13)], the 5-mile Gibson Gap Trail [ Fig. 7 (14)], and the 4-mile Ewing Trail [ Fig. 6 (5)]. On the Kentucky side, the Sugar Run Trail [ Fig. 7 (12)] supports a hemlock and rhododendron forest, growing in soil left from the Pennsylvanian deposits.

Look for tiny fossils embedded in rocks in the higher elevations, especially at the top of the Ewing Trail. Park officials advise not to hike this wild area alone. Watch your footing near cliffs and rock outcroppings. Plan for the possibility that fires may be prohibited in the backcountry during dry spells. Carry an alternative fuel source. Backcountry camping is allowed (by permit from the visitor center) at four areas along the Ridge Trail [ Fig. 6 (3)]Gibson Gap [ Fig. 7 (11)], Chadwell Gap [ Fig. 7 (7)], Martin's Fork [ Fig. 7 (3)], and White Rocks [ Fig. 6 (4), Fig. 7 (4)]. Pit toilets are the only improvements. Camping outside these areas is not allowed. A one-room primitive cabin with fireplace and six bunks at Martin's Fork (near the Hensley Settlement) also requires a permit. Ridge Trail. [ Fig. 6 (3)] This moderate trail on the Virginia/Kentucky line along Cumberland Mountain ridge starts at Pinnacle Overlook and runs 16.6 miles east to White Rocks. It connects to all major park trails and to four primitive backcountry campgrounds (permit required).

It leads 11.7 miles from the Pinnacle to the Hensley Settlement [ Fig. 6 (1)]. Other side trips from the Ridge Trail include Skylight Cave, Sand Cave, and White Rocks. Trail: 16.6-mile linear path along Cumberland Mountain ridge, accessible from the Pinnacle Overlook and by other trails at both ends. Elevation: 2,440 feet at Pinnacle Overlook to 3,513 feet just west of White Rocks. Degree of difficulty: Moderate, with many ups and downs. Surface: Natural forest floor and rock. Ewing Trail. [ Fig. 6 (5)] On the shortest but steepest path to Sand Cave and White Rocks the payoffs are many, especially in the spring. Hikers who take time and smell the flowers along the switchbacks will not be disappointed. Explorers should also look for painted trillium (Trillium undulatum), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), hepatica of varying hues, spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), and large patches of nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum).

Rocks at the top of Ewing Trail provide the best opportunity in the park for discovering embedded fossils of ancient marine shellfish. To get to the trailhead at Civic Park [ Fig. 7 (9)], go east on US 58 from Wilderness Road campground and picnic area 12 miles. At Ewing, go left (north) on VA 724 1 mile to Civic Park. Trail: 3.8-mile ascent to Ridge Trail. Elevation: From 1,550 feet at Civic Parking Lot on VA 724 to 3,500 feet at junction with Ridge Trail. Degree of difficulty: Moderate, with steep areas and several switchbacks. Surface: Natural forest floor and rock. White Rocks Trail and White Rocks. [ Fig. 6 (4), Fig. 7 (4)] For pure scenic enjoyment, take this 1-mile cutoff from the Ewing Trail, across the Ridge Trail, to White Rocks and White Rocks backcountry campground. The path is not difficult once it intersects with the Ridge Trail. Cross it to get to the campground, or go east .5 mile on the Ridge Trail to see the 600-foot-high sheer cliffs that are the White Rocks.

From the lookout at 3,500 feet, the views of Harlan County, Kentucky, on one side and Lee County, Virginia, on the other are spectacular. But visitors who spend a bit of time examining the rocks up close will find quartz pebbles embedded in limestone which tell a strange story. There are deeper areas of limestone and shales, below younger, more shallow layers of Pennsylvanian sandstone. At these high elevations, it is overwhelming to think of the lap of oceans that deposited these layers more than 290 million years ago and ponder the upheaval that brought the deposits to these heights. White Rocks, prominent from the Wilderness Road in Virginia, served as a marker for early travelers in the valley below as they labored west toward Cumberland Gap. When the cliffs came into view atop Cumberland Mountain, shining in the afternoon sunlight, travelers knew they had one more day to Gibson Station. There they would assemble in large groups for protection against Indians during the treacherous journey through the gap. Trail: 1-mile trail from Ewing Trail to White Rocks, intersecting Ridge Trail. Elevation: 3,500 feet at highest point.

Difficulty: Difficult from Ewing Trail up to Ridge Trail, moderate from Ridge Trail to White Rocks. Surface: Natural forest floor and rock. The Cumberland Gap Tunnel [ Fig. 6 (13)] Imagine the relief of pioneers, had they discovered such a wonder. A modern, four-lane highway through the mountain. Completed in 1996, this pair of two-lane tunnels opened to carry travelers under instead of over the gap that has seen so much history. The massive engineering project of carving twin tunnels through nearly 1 mile of solid rock was a joint effort by the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration. Layers of sandstone, shale, limestone, and chert laid down through millennia were drilled, analyzed, exposed with pilot tunnels, excavated, blasted, supported, and waterproofed in preparation for the new highway. Begun in 1985, the project took 10 years before autos could use it. The old portion of US 25E above the tunnel is abandoned today. The Park Service intends eventually to restore the Wilderness Road through the gap to give visitors an appreciation of the path early pioneers used in the late 1700s.

Meanwhile, the road that felt the march of history is quietleft again to birdsong, the tinkle of tiny mountain rills, and the pale wash of moonlight on Cumberland Mountain. Cumberland Ga p Tours A tour bus operating twice daily picks up visitors at motels, bed and breakfasts, or restaurants for two- or three-hour tours of the Cumberland Gap area. Guide Tom Shattuck is a Daniel Boone fan, and has written a Cumberland Gap guidebook. Other half-day or full-day offerings include a Wilderness Road Adventure Tour, Great Smoky Mountains Tour (Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg), and Big Stone Gap Tour (Trail of the Lonesome Pine outdoor drama, coal museum, and Southwest Virginia Museum). Tours are flexible and can be adjusted to suit individual desires. Service area includes Middlesboro, Kentucky, Pineville, Kentucky, and Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. The service is approved by the Department of Transportation and Interstate Commerce Commission. Dates: Open year-round. Fees: A fee is charged for the gap tour. For more information: Wilderness Road Tours, 224 Greenwood Road, Middlesboro, KY 40965.

Phone (606) 248-2626. Tennessee Valley Divide Rain falling on the Virginia side of Cumberland Mountain will eventually end up in the Tennessee River. Rain that falls on the Kentucky side winds its way to the Cumberland River. Both rivers are heavily controlled with dams, but the Tennessee River, under the management of the Tennessee Valley Authority, has achieved fame as one of the most managed river valleys in the world. The imaginary line marking the separation of the Tennessee River watershed from others is called the Tennessee Valley Divide. The beginnings of river watersheds don't always follow boundaries between states as the Tennessee Valley Divide does here along Cumberland Mountain. For watershed management, however, it's convenient when they do. Virginia's Dickenson County, for instance, also borders Kentucky, a bit farther to the north. But the divide runs along the east side of Dickenson instead of the west. Water in Dickenson County flows west into Kentucky and north into the Ohio River instead of south into Tennessee. A mother in Cincinnati, Ohio, gives her child a glass of water at bedtime. The mother has a vested interest in what happens to that water on Fryingpan Creek in Dickenson County, hundreds of miles away in Virginia.

Karlan State Park [ Fig. 6 (12)] Visitors will enjoy a stroll beneath century-old ash and maple trees on the grounds of one of Virginia's newest state parks. In 1993, the state purchased 200 acres that were part of an old farm originally owned by Robert M. Ely. Several of Ely's descendants lived in a mansion that still stands on the property. The mansion was constructed in the late 1870s and renovated several times in the 1900s. It stands empty now and closed to the public, awaiting restoration work. (The mansion may be rented for weddings or other functions.) The grounds, however, are open for picnicking and exploration. The rolling countryside and woodlands at Karlan offer tempting subjects for photography in any season. Along a wooded path in spring, hikers may find columbine (Aquilegia) with its nodding red and yellow blossoms, and hear the plaintive, gentle call of bluebirds from an adjacent field. Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) call their own names from the hedgerows.

Another delicate, nodding plantspotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)emerges in dry woods here and displays its white blooms in summer. White-tailed deer quietly appear at the edge of woods at dusk to browse the open fields. In autumn, the great variety of plants and trees of Karlan turn yellow, red, gold, and rust. The sheer cliffs of White Rocks gleam at their 3,500-foot perch atop Cumberland Mountain in the background. Blue jays (Cyanocitta cristata), quiet and secretive in the early summer nesting season, now gather in raucous gangs. A great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), attempting to sleep out the day high in one of the old maples, finds itself the target of the blue jays' restless excitement. A snowy winter day is also a lovely time to visit this old farm, when the bright red of a cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) huddled against the cold in a dark evergreen has its own wild appeal. A self-guided loop trail leading to Cave Hill on park property is under construction.

The trail will explain the history of the park, which was on the Wilderness Road explored by Daniel Boone. Vegetation and geology of the area will also be featured. (Karlan sits at the eastern edge of the Appalachian Plateau in a transition karst zone, full of limestone caves and sink holes.) The trailhead is located on the east side of 690, about .75 mile north of US 58. The old L&N (Louisville and Nashville) Railroad splits Karlan in half. Visitors can hike, bike, or ride horses on the easy Wilderness Road Trail that has replaced the railroad. Directions: From Cumberland Gap at the junction of US 25E and US 58, go 7 miles east on US 58. Park is on left. Or, from Ewing in Lee County, go west 4 miles on US 58, and turn right into park just past second junction with VA 690 (both junctions on right side, as VA 690 makes a loop). Activities: Hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicking. Facilities: Hiking/biking/equestrian trail, picnic tables, self-guided loop trail.

Plans include a village, refurbished mansion, and visitor center. Dates: Open year-round. Fees: None. Closest town: Ewing, 4 miles east. For more information: Karlan State Park, Route 2, Box 78, Ewing, VA 24248. Phone (540) 445-3065. Wilderness Road Trail [ Fig. 6 (14)] The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) purchased the old L&N (Louisville and Nashville) railroad bed in the southwest tip of Lee County for possible use when US 58 was widened to four lanes. Now, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, VDOT is turning the railroad bed into a trail for those who would like to hike, bike, or ride horseback on the same path the early settlers took on their way to Cumberland Gap. Ten miles have been completed so far. The trailhead on the eastern end is at a parking lot on the north side of US 58, 3 miles west of Ewing. The wide, easy path heads westward, through Karlan State Park [ Fig. 6 (12)].

Then it passes Gibson Station, once the assembly point for pioneers preparing to cross through Cumberland Gap on their way west to the bluegrass of Kentucky. On the west end, the trail leaves the railroad bed and the grade becomes steeper as it ascends to its temporary end at the Wilderness Road Campground of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. West of the packed gravel trail toward the gap, the trail passes through open farmland and woodlands and crosses small tributaries of Indian Creek. VDOT built sturdy bridges across streams and developed access to streams for watering horses. Instead of rumbling trains of the past, the bubbly voice of the wood thrush, the cooing of the mourning dove, and the sharp bark of a gray fox fill the air. Black-eyed susan (Rudbekia hirta) and Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) sway among the trail-side grasses on a summer afternoon. Other sites along the trail could include a groundhog (Marmota monax) munching clover near his burrow or a red-eft, the subadult stage of the red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens).

This is prime territory for the rusty-yellow eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), a rather large squirrel found in the woodlands. To the north is the steep, south-facing slope of Cumberland Mountain that dictated the path this railroad and the Wilderness Road took. Plans are to involve Tennessee and Virginia localities in extending the trail along the old railroad bed at both ends. On the southwest end, the Wilderness Road Trail will follow the old train route south into Claiborne County, Tennessee. The present path that leads away from the railroad bed, ending in the National Historical Park campground, will become a spur of the extended trail. Also, VDOT has plans for wildflower plantings and plans for an asphalt surface for hikers and bikers on one side of the path, leaving the other side for horses. Trail: 10-mile linear path with plans to extend both ends along old railroad bed. Elevation: 1,200 to 1,300 feet with no more than 10 percent grade except at temporary west end where trail rises to about 1,400 feet. Degree of difficulty: Easy, with some steep sections on temporary west end. Surface: Packed fine gravel.

Directions: East-end trailhead at parking lot in Caylor on north side of Route 58 near the middle intersection (there are 3 intersections of Route 684 and Route 58), next to Wheeler's store, 3 miles west of Ewing in Lee County. West-end trailhead in Gibson Station on north side of Route 58, .25 mile west of the intersection of Route 693 and Route 58. There is also a trailhead at Wilderness Road Campground at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Campground is on US 25E in southwestern tip of Lee County, 1.3 miles east of junction with US 58. Access also available where railroad bed comes through Karlan State Park, about 4 miles west of Ewing. For more information: Jonesville Residency Office, VDOT, PO Box 704, Jonesville, VA 24263. Phone (540) 346-1911.

Question: The Cumberland Gap is a pass in which US mountain range?
Answer: Appalachians