Cumberland Gap is a natural pass in the Appalachian Mountains, near the meeting point of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The gap cuts a notch about 600 feet (180 meters) deep into Cumberland Mountain. The gap is about 1,600 feet (490 meters) above sea level. Pioneers used the gap as a passage into the Cumberland Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau to the west.
An exploring party led by the pioneer scout Thomas Walker used the Cumberland Gap in 1750. In 1775, the famous pioneer Daniel Boone blazed the Wilderness Road through the gap (see Boone, Daniel). Between 1775 and 1800, about 200,000 people passed through the gap. The gap was controlled alternately by the Confederate and Union armies during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Cumberland Gap National Historical Park covers about 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) and is one of the country’s largest historical parks.
