Cumberland Gap National Historical Park - Camping

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park by National Parks Service

Backcountry Campsites

Open

Open All Year

Details

Backcountry campsites are located at Gibson Gap, Chadwell Camp, Martins Fork, Hensley Camp and Whites Rocks. Folks using the backcountry must use these designated sites. Backcountry permits are required. While there is no fee, the permits must be picked up in person at the park visitor center. You can make reservations for the backcountry campsites up to three months in advance.

Wilderness Road Campground

The Wilderness Road Campground is located approximately 3 miles from the park visitor center off of Highway 58 in Virginia. It has 160 sites in a beautiful wooded setting.

30 and 50 amp electrical hookups are available at 41 of the sites. Hot showers and potable water are located in the comfort stations. A dump station is located near the campground entrance.

Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Campground is open year around.

Group Camping

Group camp sites are available.

Reservations for group campsites can be made up to three months in advance by calling the park visitor center at (606) 248-2817.

Backcountry camping

is allowed in designated sites with a permit. Permits are free of charge and must be obtained at the park visitor center.

Note:

The following information will be needed when obtaining a backcountry permit:

Name

Address

Contact Telephone number (in case of emergency)

Itinerary including number of people in party and number of horses

Information for any vehicles which will be left in the park (tag number, description, owner information)

Reservations for backcountry campsites can be made up to three months in advance by calling the park visitor center at (606) 248-2817.

Campgrounds you can reserve online

Wilderness Road State Park Campground

Mileage:2 mi

Description: Purchased in 1993, Wilderness Road State Park offers approximately 200 acres for picnicking, hiking and living history programs. Vistors can enjoy the new vistor center, home to a theater presenting the film "Wilderness Road, Spirit of A Nation," a frontier museum and gift shop. The park also features the reconstructed Martin's Station, picnic shelters, a playground, an outdoor living history museum and seasonal living history programs depicting life on Virginia's 1775 frontier. Vistors can hike the 12-mile Wilderness Road Trail linking the park with 50 miles of trails in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The late 1870's mansion is available for weddings, meetings and other special functions. Unique regional gifts are available at the gift shop. Special Events: Raid at Martin's Station is May and Wilderness Road Heritage Festival in October.
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Levi Jackson State Park Campground

Mileage:40 mi

Description: Hike in the footsteps of pioneers on two historic trails, the Wilderness Road and Boones Trace. These thoroughfares carried more than 200,000 settlers from the eastern colonies into the western frontier between 1774 and 1796. See the Mountain Life Museum and McHargue's Mill, tributes to 19th century pioneer ingenuity. Or enjoy swimming and relaxing at your campsite. There are plenty of ways to have fun at Levi Jackson State Park.Geography:Located south of London, Levi Jackson State Park encompasses over 800 acres and includes the Defeated Camp Pioneer Burial Ground, McHargue's Mill and the Mountain Life Museum, whose buildings are filled with pioneer relics, including tools, products of agriculture, and household implements. A working reproduction mill dates to the same era as the original McHargue family mill and has authentic interior works, including millstones. It is surrounded by the largest display of millstones in the country.Recreation:Cool off on a hot summer day in the community swimming pool. Test your putting skills on the 18-hole miniature golf course April-October. Hike on 8.5 miles of trails. Horseshoe pits, volleyball, and basketball courts are available, and in the camping area, daily summer activities are available for children and adults, under the guidance of a trained recreation staff.Facilities:While discovering Kentuckys pioneer heritage at Levi Jackson State Park, visitors can relax year-round in a 146-site campground, nestled in open woodland. Utility hookups, a grocery store, a dump station, and three central service buildings containing an activities room, showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities assure camping convenience. Pets are allowed if restrained. Levi Jackson is a great place for a fun-filled group camping trip. The group camping area has an activities building and may be reserved in advance. The Russell Dyche Amphitheater seats 1,500 people and is host to many community events.
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Grove Campground

Mileage:42 mi

Description: Grove Campground is situated on a wooded ridge above Laurel River Lake, a 5600 acre lake within the Daniel Boone National Forest. Flush toilets, showers, hot water; ice and firewood for sale at the campground; close proximity to marina and public boat ramp; paved interior roads; fish cleaning facility at boat ramp; trailer dump station free of charge to campers; hiking trails (no motorized vehicle trails nearby). There are high cliffs in the area - exercise caution, especially with children. Sites can only be reserved for dates from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Sites in B loop are reservable. Sites in other loops can only be rented on a first-come, first-served basis at the campground. Sites are also available for rental at the campground between campground opening and closing dates.
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Trace Branch Campground

Mileage:42 mi

Description: Trace Branch Campground is open May through September. The Day-use area is open April through October. The Trace Branch Recreation Area, located on Buckhorn Lake, is the center of your outdoor recreation activities in the Cumberland Plateau of "coal-mining" country in southeastern Kentucky. Trace Branch Recreation Area is located approximately 13 miles north of Hyden, KY in Leslie County near the communities of Confluence and Busy. Buckhorn Lake Recreation area offers hunting, fishing, boating, camping, hiking, swimming, and other activities on this flood control project. The Trace Branch Recreation Area is located near other southeastern attractions such as Lilley Cornett Woods, Frontier Nursing, Daniel Boone National Forest, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, and the Red River Gorge Geological Area. Nearby communities include Confluence, Thousandsticks, Busy, Hyden, Grassy, Krypton, Gays Creek, Buckhorn, and Hazard. Trace Branch Recreation Area offers one reservable day-use picnic shelter with electricity & potable water, boat ramp, courtesy boat dock, & flush toilets. Trace Branch Campground is considered "Class A" and contains 14 reservable campsites with electric and water hook-ups. Other amenities include a shower house, playground, horseshoe pits, and a fishing area. A convenience store is located nearby (approx. 3 miles) adjacent to the Confluence Recreation Area. Trace Branch Recreation Area is cooperatively managed by the Leslie County Fiscal Court and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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Craigs Creek Group Area Campground

Mileage:45 mi

Description: Located on Laurel River Lake, a 5600 acre lake within the Daniel Boone National Forest. Craigs Creek Group Area has three group campsites, each equipped with a fire circle, large grill, picnic tables, and lantern pole. There is also a picnic shelter which may be reserved for day-use only. There is no electricity. There are centrally located water hydrants convenient to each group campsite. The restrooms are vault toilets. A playing field, volleyball net, and horseshoe pits are located near the picnic shelter. Craigs Creek Boat Ramp is at the end of Forest Road 62, about 3/4 mile from the Group Area. No motorized vehicles allowed off roads.
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Cumberland Falls State Resort Park Campground

Mileage:45 mi

Description: Known as the "Niagara of the South," Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is named after the largest waterfall south of the Niagara. 125 ft wide wall of water drops into a boulder-strewn gorge. With a full moon and clear night sky you can see the "moonbow," a (lunar rainbow) that appears in the base of the waterfall. A phenomenon not found anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere! The area is also a natural choice for water-sports enthusiasts, offering *white-water rafting, *canoeing, *swimming, and fishing. Landlubbers will enjoy hiking and *horseback riding in this lovely area. (* for Seasonal)Geography:Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Park, Waterfall, Riverview restaurant and lodging open year round. Campground open March 16-Nov 18.Recreation:Cumberland Falls is a hikers paradise, with 17 miles of hiking trails that wind through the park to scenic areas. The Moonbow Trail connects with many backpacking trails in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Guided horseback trail rides are available daily. Enjoy tennis, horseshoes, or shuffleboard on the outdoor courts and year-round interpretive programs about native plants, animals, and local history, under the direction of a full-time recreation specialist. Daily summer activities are conducted by seasonal recreation staff. Enjoy fishing in the Cumberland River, where there is an abundance of bass, catfish, panfish, and roughfish. Cool off on a hot summer day with a dip in the Olympic-size pool. Guided rafting trips are offered on the Cumberland River.Facilities:A picnic area bordering the Cumberland River allows for relaxation and beautiful scenery. A picnic shelter in this area may be reserved. Cumberland Falls is an ideal location for meetings. A multipurpose building, adjacent to the lodge, can accommodate 250 people. The Moonbow room is great for groups 2-80. Or smaller groups of 20 or less will find the Magnolia room charming with the view of the woods. The Dupont Lodge Patio offers an inspiring view of the Cumberland River and encircling mountains. Visit the gift shop, snack shack, and Visitors Center, with exhibits of the areas geology, Native American artifacts and history.Nearby Attractions:Visit the nearby Cumberland Falls State Park Nature Preserve, located in Whitley and McCreary Counties.
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Holly Bay Campground

Mileage:45 mi

Description: Located on the west side of Laurel River Lake, a 5,600 acre lake within the Daniel Boone National Forest, Holly Bay is about 2 miles north of the Laurel River Dam. The campground is popular because of its woodland setting and proximity to the lake. Amenities include flush toilets, showers, hot water; ice and firewood for sale at the campground; "campers only" boat ramp inside the campground; close proximity to marina and public boat ramp; store within short driving distance; paved interior roads; gate-house staffed 24 hours a day between Memorial Day and Labor Day; fish cleaning facility in campground; trailer dump station free of charge to paid campers; hiking and mountain bike trails (no motorized vehicle trails nearby); and swimming beach within short driving distance. Loop A shower building has a ramp and toilet with hand rails, but otherwise facilities are not ADA accessible. Sites can only be reserved for dates from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Sites in D and H loops are reservable. Sites in other loops can only be rented in person at the campground on a first-come, first-serve basis. Sites are also available for rental at the campground between campground opening and closing dates.
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Natural Tunnel State Park Campground

Mileage:45 mi

Description: The Commonwealth of Virginia acquired the tunnel and 100 surrounding acres in 1967 from the Natural Tunnel Chasm and Caverns Corp. to establish Natural Tunnel State Park. Approximately 750 additional acres were later acquired and the park opened in 1971. Natural Tunnel, called the "Eighth Wonder of the World" by William Jennings Bryan, has been attracting sightseers to the mountains of southwestern Virginia for more than 100 years. Today it is the focal point of Natural Tunnel State Park, a park which offers visitors not only spectacular sights but also swimming, camping, picnicking, hiking, a chairlift, a visitor center, an amphitheater and interpretive programs, including guided canoe tours and wild cavetrips. The new Cove Ridge Center offers conference center facilities, both overnight and meeting space. The creation of Natural Tunnel began more than a million years ago in the early glacial period when groundwater bearing carbonic acid percolated through crevices and slowly dissolved surrounding limestone and dolomite bedrock. Then, what is now Stock Creek was probably diverted underground to continue carving the tunnel slowly over many centuries. The walls of the tunnel show evidence of prehistoric life, and many fossils can be found in the creek bed and on tunnel walls. Size: 850 acres. The tunnel is 850 feet long and 100 feet high inside.
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Buckhorn Campground

Mileage:48 mi

Description: Buckhorn Campground, located on Buckhorn Lake, is your center of outdoor recreation activities in the Cumberland Plateau of southeast Kentucky. Buckhorn Campground is located just below the dam near the city of Buckhorn, Kentucky. Buckhorn Lake offers hunting, fishing, boating, camping, hiking, swimming, and more on this flood control project. Buckhorn Campground is located only minutes from other southeastern Kentucky attractions such as Buckhorn Log Church, Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park, Carr Creek Lake, Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Red River Gorge Geological Area, and the Daniel Boone National Forest. The nearby communities of Chavies, Buckhorn, Booneville, Hazard, Jackson, Hyden, and other communities host festivals throughout the year. Buckhorn Campground offers 30 developed campsites, with 4 walk-in tent sites, 15 boat-in campsites, and 14 overflow campsites. Electric, water and television cable hook-ups are available at the developed campsites. Other amenities include a dump station, laundry facilities, hot showers, boat ramp nearby, pay telephone, playground, nature trail, vending machines, and fishing areas.
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Carr Creek State Park Campground

Mileage:50 mi

Description: Enjoy a variety of recreational activities at this park on Carr Fork Lake. Park your RV or pitch your tent and relax in one of the best campgrounds in southeastern Kentucky. The park features the longest sand beach in Kentucky State Parks system. Pleasure boaters and fishermen can explore the 750-acre lake with miles of shoreline and good bass, crappie and walleye fishing. The park is 15 miles southeast of Hazard on KY 15 South.
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Note: All mileage numbers are "as the crow flies"