The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States

National Historical Park National Historic Site (NHS) is a designation for an officially recognized area of national historic significance in the United States. An NHS usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject. The National Historic ...

located at the border between

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 36th-largest by ...

, and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

, centered on the

Cumberland Gap The Cumberland Gap is a pass through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains, near the junction of the U.S. states of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. It is famous in American colonial history for its r ...

, a natural break in the

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. The ...

. The park lies in parts of

Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

and Harlan counties in Kentucky, Claiborne County in Tennessee, and Lee County in Virginia. The park contains the Kentucky-Virginia-Tennessee

tripoint A tripoint, trijunction, triple point, or tri-border area is a geographical point at which the boundaries of three countries or subnational entities meet. There are 175 international tripoints as of 2020. Nearly half are situated in rivers, l ...

, accessible via trail. The town of

Cumberland Gap, Tennessee Cumberland Gap is a town in Claiborne County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 494 at the 2010 census, and estimated to be 490 in 2019. The town is located below the Cumberland Gap, a historic mountain pass for which is the town's n ...

is located inside of the park's territory. The Cumberland Gap Visitor Center is located on U.S. Highway 25E just southeast of the city of

Middlesboro, Kentucky Middlesboro ()Rennick, Robert. ''Kentucky Place Names'', University Press of Kentucky (Lexington), 1987p. 196 Accessed 26 August 2013. is a home rule-class city in Bell County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 10,334 at the 2010 U.S ...

, and just northwest of the

Cumberland Gap Tunnel The Cumberland Gap Tunnel is a dual-bore, four lane vehicular tunnel that carries U.S. Route 25E under Cumberland Gap National Historical Park near the intersection of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The tunnel consists of two separate bo ...

and the town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. The visitor center features a museum with interactive exhibits about the Gap's role as a transportation corridor, an auditorium that shows films about the area's cultural and natural history, a book store and the Cumberland Crafts gift shop with crafts from

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, C ...

Physical geography

The park covers and is among the largest national parks in the

eastern United States The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...

. As of 2010, of this was designated as Recommended Wilderness. Elevation varies from a low of to a high of . The park runs along the

Cumberland Mountains The Cumberland Mountains are a mountain range in the southeastern section of the Appalachian Mountains. They are located in western Virginia, southwestern West Virginia, the eastern edges of Kentucky, and eastern middle Tennessee, including the ...

, stretching about with an average width of . The park straddles a tri-state area encompassing land from

and

. It includes the area of the

Wilderness Road The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other (m ...

running through the passage across the

Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms " Al ...

and through the

, an important geological feature that facilitated travel for American settlers and Native Americans. It includes 24 known cave features ranging in size from around to more than in length. There are a number of large cliff systems in the park, the most prominent of which is the cliffs of White Rocks, located in the eastern portion of the area. At the northeastern end, the park sits adjacent to the Sillalah Creek Wildlife Management Area and the Martin's Fork Wildlife Management Area and State Natural Area. The climate of the area is mild, with hot and humid summers and mild winters, and an average annual temperature of . CumberlandGapWhiteRocks

Hydrology

The park contains over of streams. With the exception of one, Little Yellow Creek, all of these originate from within the park, with those to the north of the main ridge flowing into the

Cumberland River The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 8, 2011 river drains almost of southern Kentucky and ...

, and those to the south flowing into the Powell River. Overall water quality in the park is good to fair, with some areas falling below recommended pH levels, likely due to natural causes, and others exceeding recommended levels of microorganisms, possibly due to contamination from campgrounds.

Ecology

The area of the park is 97% forested and contains 970 species of

vascular plants Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They ...

, 90 of which are classified as sensitive or rare species. These include 108 non-native species of plants, and 31 considered to be highly aggressive

invasive plants An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

. The park is home to at least 145 species of birds, and 40 species of mammals, including the

near-threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify f ...

bat, '' Myotis sodalis'' (Indiana bat). The streams in the park house around 27 species of fish, including '' Chrosomus cumberlandensis'' (blackside dace), federally listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

. Additionally, surveys have identified at least 36 species of reptiles and amphibians. Ecosystems in the park are threatened by a number of insect infestations from non-native pest species, including '' Dendroctonus frontalis'' (southern pine beetle), and ''

Adelges tsugae The hemlock woolly adelgid (; ''Adelges tsugae''), or HWA, is an insect of the order Hemiptera (true bugs) native to East Asia. It feeds by sucking sap from hemlock and spruce trees (''Tsuga'' spp.; ''Picea'' spp.). In its native range, HWA ...

'' (hemlock woolly adelgid). The species ''

Agrilus planipennis The emerald ash borer (''Agrilus planipennis''), also known by the acronym EAB, is a green buprestid or jewel beetle native to north-eastern Asia that feeds on ash species. Females lay eggs in bark crevices on ash trees, and larvae feed underne ...

'' (emerald ash borer) and ''

Lymantria dispar dispar ''Lymantria dispar dispar'' or LDD moth, commonly known as the gypsy moth, European gypsy moth, North American gypsy moth, or spongy moth, is a species of moth in the family Erebidae that is of Eurasian origin. It has a range that extends over E ...

'' (gypsy moth) also represent imminent threats from surrounding areas.

History

Business leaders from

meeting in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

for the Appalachian Logging Conference, proposed a Lincoln National Park, centered around Fern Lake as early as 1922. However, two bills introduced into the Kentucky State Legislature the following year by State Congressman John Robison both failed. Later attempts in 1929 sought to create memorials for

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

battles fought in the area, and also failed. In 1938, the National Park Service agreed to support a park if the lands were donated to form one, and the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Association was created, sparking more unsuccessful attempts in Kentucky, and then passage of a bill in Virginia in 1939 that paved the way for federal authorization. The park was established on June 11, 1940, by

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

in order to "commemorate the story of the first doorway of the west". It was authorized by Congress to occupy an area not to exceed . The surrounding states purchased and deeded the land of the park to the federal government in 1955, and the official opening took place in 1959. In 1992 the park purchased the area surrounding Gap Cave, which had previously been privately owned. By 1996, the park had undergone some $280 million in improvements, including construction of the

. Toward the southern end of the park lies Fern Lake, created by an earthen dam in 1890, which provides water to the nearby town of

. The area surrounding the lake was purchased by the park in four phases following the passage of the Fern Lake Conservation and Recreation Act, increasing the overall size of the park by 20%: * Phases I and II, of land purchased in 2008 from Ataya Hardwoods by

The Trust for Public Land The Trust for Public Land is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a mission to "create parks and protect land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come". Since its founding in 1972, the Trust for Public Land has compl ...

and transferred to the park * Phase III, of land purchased in 2009 from Molpus Woodlands Group * Phase IV, of land purchased in 2009 from Molpus Woodlands Group As of 2010 there were plans to acquire an additional of land surrounding the lake. As of 2018 the park had an estimated $15 million in deferred maintenance.

Accommodations

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park visitors center

The park includes a visitor center, renovated in 2004, which features a museum and auditorium, providing exhibits on the areas cultural and natural history, as well as book and gift shops. Guided tours of the Hensley Settlement and Gap Cave are provided from the tourist center. Around from the center, along the Skyland Road, lies the Pinnacle Overlook, which, at an elevation of , overlooks the gap and the surrounding country. There are of hiking trails, ranging from shorter routes such as the Sugar Run Trail, to the Ridge Trail, which spans the park and reaches an elevation of . The nearby Wilderness Road Campground includes 160 campsites. No hunting is permitted within the park.

Tri-State Peak Tri-State Peak is a mountain located in the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, near the "saddle" of the gap. It gets its name from being on the tripoint of the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The elevation at the tri-state mark ...

is located in the park, and is accessible by trail. A marker designating the

of the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, is located at the peak of the mountain.

Tourism

The park saw 737,547 visitors in 2017, according to statistics by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. According to one federal study, in 2013 visitor spending amounted to $46 million in nearby communities, supporting 639 local jobs. Peak rates of visitation normally occur during the seasons of spring, summer and fall.

Recognition

In 2017 the park received the Keeper of the Light Award from the Southeast Region of the National Park Service, which recognizes excellence in education. In 2016 the

United States Mint The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; tha ...

released a commemorative quarter as part of the America the Beautiful series honoring the park.

Notes

References

External links

*
Official Cumberland Gap National Historical Park websiteAmerican Byways: Cumberland Gap
{{authority control National Historical Parks of the United States Parks in Kentucky Parks in Tennessee Parks in Virginia Open-air museums in Kentucky Rural history museums in Tennessee Rural history museums in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Bell County, Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Harlan County, Kentucky National Register of Historic Places in Claiborne County, Tennessee National Register of Historic Places in Lee County, Virginia Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Tennessee Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Kentucky Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Virginia Museums in Bell County, Kentucky Parks in Lee County, Virginia Protected areas established in 1940 Protected areas of Bell County, Kentucky Protected areas of Claiborne County, Tennessee Protected areas of Harlan County, Kentucky National Park Service areas in Kentucky National Park Service areas in Tennessee National Park Service areas in Virginia National parks of the Appalachians Harrogate, Tennessee Cumberland Gap East Tennessee Eastern Kentucky Coalfield Southwest Virginia