Cumberland Gap National Park, KY
- Cumberland Gap Whiterocks
The “wow” factor: The V-shaped indentation in the Cumberland Mountains is just north of where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia meet, creating a spectacular valley floor and mountain views above. The pass was a trade route for the earliest Americans, and Daniel Boone led the crew hired to widen the passage for settlers heading to Kentucky and Tennessee in the late 1700s.
Consider in place of: The nearby and much more crowded Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The nine million visitors who pay their respect to the Smokies annually mean serious traffic jams on holiday weekends and during the summer and fall foliage season. Cumberland Gap’s similar charms like Pinnacle Overlook and the Hensley Settlement are visited by a mere fraction of the crowds at GSMNP — about 1.5 million people annually.
Insider tip: Call ahead to sign up for one of the ranger-led tours to Cumberland Gap’s many caves to explore stalagmites and flowstone cascades.





