Kentucky's Best Fall Leaves - Cumberland Gap National Historic Park
Tucked away in the far southeastern corner of Kentucky where Tennessee and Virginia meet up with the Bluegrass State in a tri-point, is a tiny park with massive views. Rising above the surrounding mountains is a magical place known as Cumberland Gap National Historic Park and it displays what is arguably some of the best fall foliage in the state of Kentucky. Despite its small size, the park boundaries do bleed into both Virginia and Tennessee as well.
Brief Overview
Mountains, caves, historic sites, and over 80 miles of trails are all packed in an area covering just 14,000 acres across 3 states. You don't have to travel far for an entirely new experience while exploring Cumberland Gap.
For those who are unable to get out and hike and or backcountry camp, the park offers a few easy access overlooks as well as a campground enabling everyone to experience this beautiful area no matter your physical abilities.
Unless you're planning on hitting every mile of trail, you can see the majority of the park within either a full day or over a couple days.
How to Get There
The park is literally located in the middle of nowhere. The closest major town is Knoxville, Tennessee which is about 90 minutes south. Outside of that, there are plenty of small towns nearby so filling up your gas tank, lodging, and food are all accessible within as little as a few minutes from the visitor center. Don't expect a huge selection, but you'll have options.
The pin to the Daniel Boone Visitor center can be found here:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1YGjVS4YytDTDdNv9
Entrance to the park is free, however, a few activities do require a fee.
- Gap Cave tours are available at $8 for adults and $4 for children 5-12.
- Hensley Settlement tour is $10 for adults and $5 per child.
- Campground is $18 for non-electric sites and $24 for electric.
If you plan on backpacking, you are required to obtain a free backcountry permit at the visitor center. This is so they know you're back there and that your empty car in the parking lot is yours, but it's also because there are limits to the number of people allowed per campsite. We were checked in the backcountry by a friendly ranger so they do patrol the trails.
Things to Do
Hiking
With approximately 85 miles of trails stretching the park and connecting the various sites, everyone will find something that piques their interest. Whether you just want a short 1 mile stint in the woods or are up for an adventure with the 21 mile Ridge Trail, there are plenty of mileage options spanning a host of destinations.
For the Backyard Explorer's edition, I visited this in the fall with 2 of my brothers for a short, one night backpacking trip. We didn't have a lot of time so our trail time was only around 20 miles total in out and back fashion.
There are several trailheads scattered along the length of the ridgeline and depending on where you go, you may be starting your journey in Kentucky, Tennessee, or Virginia. The main ridge straddles KY and VA so the bulk of your time will be between these 2 states.
We started the backcountry trip at the Civic Park area which is less than a 20 minute drive east of the visitor center. From the parking lot, you'll have a steady climb of around 1,700 feet up the Ewing Trail to the ridge. You can hit both White Rocks and Sand Cave together from the trailhead in a lollipop loop (extremely popular day hike option of nearly 9 miles), but since we were continuing past this, we did not loop back after both of these destinations. There is a junction at the top which we turned right onto the White Rocks foot Trail and then right again at the second junction onto the Ridge Trail. An outcropping that juts prominently above the surrounding region known as White Rocks is just a short, but steep side trip. If you go in the fall, you'll have one of the best opportunities of seeing fall leaves. The views are spectacular.
After you leave the White Rocks area, retrace your steps back to the junction. It is here that we went straight along the Ridge Trail which eventually comes to another intersection and a right turn will reward you with a pretty prize in short order: Sand Cave. Easily one of the most recognizable features in the entire park, this sandstone cave is huge. It features a large, cavernous opening with multicolor walls and sand. Lots and lots of sand just like at a beach or dune, but this oddity is up on a mountain. It all makes sense when you realize erosion has carved the sandstone away and dropped particles of sand below.
During wet times of year, there is actually a waterfall that falls off the cliff here. It had been so dry that we didn't see even a trickle.
When we were done exploring Sand Cave, it was time to hop back onto the Ridge Trail and head west. The path is pretty gentle up here and not very open as you might expect being atop a ridge.
The next major destination would be our turnaround point: the Hensley Settlement. We set up our hammocks and dropped our packs at the Hensley Camp to shed a few pounds before taking off for the settlement.
The Hensley Settlement began around 1900 when a man named Burton Hensley acquired 200 acres of ridgetop property which he divided between his children. A few years later, his daughter and her husband decided to move to their plot and several families followed. It peaked at 100 people who lived there all the way until 1951 when the last of them left. This now abandoned, but well preserved historical area is really cool to explore and it's even better when you have the whole place to yourself. Guided tours are offered May to October for a fee if you're looking for a more in-depth experience.
We actually hiked back to the settlement after dark to check out the stars which were pretty good. An astrophotographer could have fun up here using the various houses and structures in the forefront of their portraits.
The next morning, we retraced the trail back to the White Rocks for one last glimpse before descending back to the car.
In total, we only accomplished about a third of the Ridge Trail. What lies west of the Hensley Settlement will have to wait until next time.
Down below on US-58 allows you to follow the ridge from a different perspective. We took this west back to the main park area for one last stop.
The main area by the visitor center has several options to check out and all of which are less strenuous. As for what we did, we ended the trip with a view of Cumberland Gap via the Pinnacle Overlook. Very easy access that just about anyone can do. You overlook 2 states, the smaller mountains below, Fern Lake, and the town of Middlesboro, KY. Not a bad way to cap off this adventure!
Other Things to Do
I typically only talk about what I've done so my reviews are highly accurate, however, I'll mention some other activities here for your further research.
Gap Cave is a real limestone cave beneath the mountains which can be toured with a ranger for a fee. Stalactites, stalagmites, and many other cave formations are here for your enjoyment and wonder.
Skylight Cave is another sandstone cave which can be found close to the visitor center.
The Iron Furnace is another notable historical place of interest. This furnace was used to produce iron for the local region in the 1800s.
Conclusion
All in all Cumberland Gap National Historic Park packs a punch for its size. While it may be virtually unknown to the majority of people outside of the area or who aren't NPS nerds, it truly is worth the visit no matter what season you choose. Come for the views, stay for the history, and enjoy a slice of Appalachia heaven.
Useful Websites
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park website - https://www.nps.gov/cuga/index.htm
As always, B.E. Adventurous!