Cumberland Gap National Historical Park - Plan Your Visit

Park grounds and picnic areas are open daily. The road leading to the Pinnacle Overlook may be closed periodically due to inclement weather, including ice, snow, and lightning.

Getting There

Plane
The closest major airport is located in Knoxville, Tennessee about a two hour drive from Cumberland Gap.

Flights can also be made into the Lexington, Kentucky airport. Follow Interstate 75 in Kentucky. Cumberland Gap is located 128 miles south Lexington on 25E.

Car
Visitors traveling on Interstate 75 in Kentucky should exit on 25E at Corbin. Cumberland Gap is located 50 miles south of Corbin on 25E.

Visitors traveling on Interstate 81 in Tennessee should exit on 25E at Morristown, Tennessee. The park is located 50 miles northwest on 25E.

The park can also be accessed from Virginia by traveling west on Highway 58 to its intersection with 25E in Tennessee.

Public Transportation
There is no public transportation in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

Getting Around

Leaving the Visitor Center, park visitors can drive a winding four-mile-long road up the mountain to the Pinnacle Overlook (elevation 2,440 feet) for a spectacular view into the three states of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. The road is closed to vehicles 20 feet or longer in length. When park staff is available, shuttles to the Overlook can be arranged;.

Almost 70 miles of hiking trails meander through eastern deciduous forest in this 20,000 acre national park. Distances range from a 1/4-mile loop trail to the 21-mile-long Ridge Trail. Trails lead to Hensley Settlement, a restored mountain community located atop isolated Brush Mountain. Folks can visit chestnut-hewn cabins and learn about the self-sufficient lifestyle of the Hensley and Gibbon families, who kept alive characteristics of early pioneer life. Restored by the National Park Service, the Settlement is accessible by hiking, horseback, or shuttle (seasonal; shuttle reservations are recommended).