Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

Fog forming over the gap


Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (est. June 11, 1940) is a United States National Historical Park at the borders Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.[1] The park covers 20,508 acres (8,299 ha). It includes a visitors' center, museum, and gift shop.[2]

The Cumberland Gap is a large natural break in the Appalachian Mountains. Historically, the gap was fertile hunting ground used by Native Americans. About 1775, it became the main route for settlers moving west into Kentucky. Between 1775 and 1810 as many as 300,000 settlers may have used the gap.[3] Tours are led to the park's Hensley Settlement, an early 20th century Kentucky mountain community, and trips are made to Gap Cave which was once used for shelter by traveling Indians and settlers. Appalachian music festivals and concerts are held in the park.

References

  1. Luckett, William W. (1993). Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. Tennessee Historical Quarterly. Retrieved on 2009-09-13
  2. Visitor Center National Park Service. Retrieved on 2010-09-13
  3. Kriplen, Nancy (September 13, 2009). "The Cumberland Gap, the Notch America Squeezed Through". The New York Times. http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/09/13/travel/13journeys.html. Retrieved 2010-09-13. 

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