Weekend Getway: Cumberland Gap
Looking out over Cumberland Gap.
Living in the Midwest/Southern part of the United States can sometimes pose a challenge to Andy and I. We love to be outdoors, hiking and camping. Finding these spots in and around our area for weekend getaways can sometimes be hard. Yes, the Smoky Mountains can be great for hiking and camping. And they are only about 5-6 hours from our home in Louisville. But, I have yet to find solitude there. Getting through Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge is enough to make me crazy. So, we always try to look beyond those areas. Enter: Cumberland Gap.
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a tiny pass within the Cumberland Mountains. It's right within the borders of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. The gap has quite a history. Native Americans used it as a footpath, buffalo used it to find pastures, Daniel Boone explored it, and Civil War soldiers prepared for an invasion that never happened there. Today, there are several hiking trails, lots of history, wildlife to observe, and quiet camping to get you away from the city.
Truth be told, this was a mini trial run for Brakayla and for us. Brakayla needed to be driven over some mountains and large hills. She needed all her parts and pieces tested. That included the new burners and water tank. We also needed to get our backpacking legs working because of a big trip to Glacier National Park later this year. Breaking in our new gear was a must on this trip.
Camping for this weekend was done at Wilderness Road Campground, which is within the park. This is a LARGE campsite. It is all first come, first serve, and we had no problem finding a site when we rolled up at 10:00pm. There are full hookups, as well as primitive campsites. There are a few bath houses sprinkled throughout the property. One great thing about this campsite is the access to trails. There is access to the backcountry connected to the sites. This makes for a super convenient situation when getting ready to pack up and go out into the backcountry. This makes things easy for us since we planned on testing out our new backpacks.
The official site says there are 80 miles of hiking within the park. At the campground we saw that there are many ranger led hikes to various different points of interest. Great for the person who’d like a leisurely stroll or who would like some historical background on what you’re seeing. There is also plenty of backcountry camping to enjoy. I’ve linked trial maps at the bottom of this post. We opted to hike the Lewis Hollow trail, which is a short out and back to Skylight Cave… which happened to be closed off. It was hot, and by that point we were done with the heat. We returned back and decided to explore the area.
We also went into the actual town of Cumberland Gap. Its about a 3 or 4 block area that includes a small inn and a B&B. We did spot a couple of shops and coffee shops, but 95% of the town was closed. There was also a bicycle museum in town, if you're interested in that.
Historic town of Cumberland Gap.
We stumbled upon Wilderness Road State Park (https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/wilderness-road). This park has a reconstructed fort, Martin’s Station. When we walked back to the fort, they happened to be in the middle of a reenactment. From here we talked to a gentleman that explained the original use of the fort, the history on why it was there, what it was for, and the challenges the settlers faced during that time. This fort was made to the original specifications. Learning how the structures were built was fascinating. That being said… there is also a Native American encampment down another path. The village is a new addition to the historical area so I’m not sure if there are more structures that will be built or if it was already complete. I enjoy learning Native American history, but seeing white men paint themselves red and black made me cringe inside. We were told that there would be a “raid” on the fort that night. We chose not to stay and watch it. I understand the history involved with these types of places is never simple, nor is it ever pretty. For me, I didn’t feel quite comfortable watching people pretend to slaughter another person. I know there’s more to it, but it seemed like these guys were really into that part of the reenactment. So, we decided to take our leave before it started. But for those of you that don’t mind it, they do pretty big “raids” on the fort a few times a year. From what I read, it’s a pretty big deal.
Martin’s Station
One of the settlers at Martin’s Station.
The only other real point of interest on our agenda was Ft. Boonesborough, KY. (https://parks.ky.gov/parks/recreationparks/fort-boonesborough/) This is a recreated fort where Daniel Boone made his settlement in 1775. The actual site of the original fort is at the park next to the new fort. This park is a great place to have a picnic lunch or swim in their pool. It’s a super clean, spacious park with plenty of facilities. The rebuilt fort is an educational experience of how early settlers lived their life. I found it more of an overview of how early settler life was lived, not so much about the true experience at the fort.
We both found the Cumberland Gap area to be super chill and relaxing, perfect for a long weekend. If you like forts, man oh man, this is your mecca. We only scratched the surface on what there is to do and see. It's easy to make an full weekend with outdoor activities.
Have you been to Cumberland Gap? Let me know!
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