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At 20,000-acres, Virginia’s
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park is the largest national
park in the United States. In the past Native Americans followed
this ancient game route at the convergence of Kentucky, Virginia
and Tennessee on what they called the Warrior’s Path. Later
more than 200,000 American Pioneers crossed the Gap along the
Wilderness Road. The Gap stretches 20 miles along Cumberland Mountain,
ranging from 1 to 4 miles wide, and contains 60+ miles of trails,
titanic underground caverns and soaring peaks that afford visitors
breathtaking panoramas of the surrounding region. It is also home
to diverse wildlife, including the endangered Indiana Bat.
Hikers can climb to Pinnacle Overlook to see wonderful views of
Virginia and Kentucky. Beneath Pinnacle Overlook are the amazing
Gap Caverns, including Cudjo’s Cavern, which houses the
world’s tallest Stalagmite. Rangers lead 2-hour tours through
the caverns 5 levels. American history buffs will revel in the
25 restored original buildings that make up the Hensley Settlement.
This isolated settlement on the top of Brush Mountain was totally
self-sufficient and had no modern amenities from 1903 right up
until the last residents abandoned it in 1951. |
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