Cumberland Gap, once traversed by the Indian Warrior Path, became a famous conduit for the Wilderness Road when Daniel Boone and his party entered Kentucky in 1769. Today, protected within a National Historic Park, this deep notch in Cumberland Mountain is the centerpiece of a natural area that offers a pleasing mix of history, scenery and outdoor recreation.
Nine hundred feet deep, the Gap was once thought to have been created by wind. We now know that it was carved by a stream that flowed southward to join the Powell River; in more recent times, this stream was "captured" by Yellow Creek, diverting its flow northward to the Cumberland River. Cumberland Mountain, which parallels Pine Mountain to its north, represents the barrier between the Appalachian Plateau (to its northwest) and the Ridge and Valley Province (to its southeast); the crest of this long, narrow ridge forms the border between Kentucky and Virginia northeast of the Gap.
A visitor center, in Middlesboro, Kentucky, introduces visitors to the natural and human history of the region and provides maps for hiking trails that climb onto Cumberland Mountain or run atop its summit; one of these leads to the Tristate Pavilion, at the junction of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Those less inclined or unable to hike the trails can take a short drive up to Pinnacle Overlook, just northeast of the Gap, which provides a spectacular panorama of the surrounding landscape.
