The Wilderness Trail Through Historic Cumberland Gap
Wilderness Trail Through Cumberland Gap
Old Highway 25E
Anyone who has ever driven through Cumberland Gap on Highway 25E prior to 1996 knows intimately just how treacherous this stretch of road was. The yearly traffic fatality rate was so high, it earned the nickname “Massacre Mountain.” The opening of the Cumberland Gap tunnel in ’96 eliminated the dangerous pass from from 25E, by routing traffic through Cumberland Mountain on the south side of the gap. And it paved the way for the return of the historic pass to the state in which it existed in the late 1700s into the nineteeth century.
Restoration of the Gap
For a number of years following the opening of the tunnel, old 25E through Cumberland Gap remained — closed to traffic, but in a rapid state of decay. In the winter of 2002, the restoration of the gap began with the bulldozing of the highway road bed. 13,000 tons of asphalt from the old highway were removed and the mountainsides were re-sculpted using much of the earth that was excavated during construction of the tunnel, along with extensive replanting of trees. Old photographs from the Civil War era were utilized in the process to ensure the the mountainside appeared as it had before the construction of the highway. The result was 1.2 miles of trail that allows hikers to the park to experience the gap as the pioneers who made the long and dangerous trek through this natural mountain pass into Kentucky must have experienced it — or as close as we can get in the 21st century, anyway.
The old 25E road bed, now re-sculped and returned to its original state
Gap Cave
Dr. Thomas Walker discovered a small cavern at Cumberland Gap during his 1750 exploration of the region, naming it “Gap Cave.” A small spring flowed from the cave, down the mountainside. This spring would later power the old Cumberland Iron Furnace, the remains of which can be viewed in the old town of Cumberland Gap.
During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate troops used the cave as a military hospital and for storage. Saltpeter was also mined. The lower part of the cavern became known as “King Solomon’s Cave;” an adjacent section “Soldiers Cave”.
In he 1890s, the beginning of tours through the cavern began, and continued until 1992. The cave was renamed “Cudjo’s Caverns” later in the 20th century. Tickets could be purchased at a small log shack along 25E just adjacent to the cave entrance. Visitors had to cross the busy highway, where they waited for a guide to take them inside.
As much graffiti and vandalism had taken place inside over the years, the cavern was cleaned up in conjunction with the Cumberland Gap restoration project. It it now know as “Gap Cave,” once again, and lantern tours are conducted through the age old attraction.
Entrance to Gap Cave
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park
Opened in 1955, Cumberland Gap National Historic Park commemorate the historic Cumberland Gap and the important role it played in he westward expansion of America. The park covers 20,508 acres of land in the beautiful Cumberland Mountains, and affords the visitor many miles of moderate to rugged hiking trails. There are access points to the Wilderness Trail on both sides of the gap.
A trip to Pinnacle Peak in a must see for anyone who ventures into the park. The four mile road to the to the parking area consists of multiple hairpin curves. Once you’ve reached the top, it’s a short walk to Pinnacle overlook, elevation 2,440 feet, where a view of three states (Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia) can be enjoyed.
From the Wilderness Trail, one can access the trail which leads to Tri-State Peak, where the states of Kentucky, Tennessee,and Virginia converge.
More information about the park can be obtained at nps.gov/cuga/index.htm