Wilderness Road Campground in Kentucky on map
Wilderness Road Campground
Explore Cumberland Gap's rich human history via 50 miles of hiking trails.
Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, situated where Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia meet, is one of the Souths hidden jewels. I've been coming here for many years, and I continue to learn and enjoy more about this historical preserve with each visit. The park is centered on Cumberland Gap, a break in the Appalachian Mountains used by animals, American Indians, settlers, and armies to enter Kentucky from points east. Today, you can pitch your tent in a fine campground and explore the park's history over its extensive trail system.
Wilderness Road Campground is situated on a sloping, heavily wooded ridgeline, its 160 campsites sprawling widely in this woodland. Imagine a huge loop with roads cutting across it; sites are situated on the outside of the grand loop and on both sides of the inner roads. Three full-service bathhouses serve the campground, with water spigots adjacent to them. Loops B and C have electric hookups and are the domain of the big rigs. Other than that, the many sites offer every possible combination of sun and shade. Overall, the sites are average in size. The thick woodland of pine, dogwood, oak, maple, and hickories delivers superb privacy. And because the campground is so large and underused, there is never a reason to camp next to anyone. In the cooler months, in fact, there may only be another straggler or two to share the whole camping area. I recommend visiting the park during spring and fall, as summer can be hot and there is no water recreation. But summer is better than not at all. The campground never fills, so this is one place where you can always count on a campsite.
Daniel Boone is the most famous of Cumberland Gap travelers, but he was far from the only one. Dr. Thomas Walker was the first settler to cross the gap in 1750. By the 1770s, settlers began pouring over it, and Kentucky became a state by 1792. Cumberland Gap decreased in importance as other western travel routes opened, but both Union and Confederate forces occupied the heights over the gap during the Civil War. An iron furnace, remnants of two Civil War forts, and a pioneer settlement are accessible historic features. Natural features include Skylight Cave, Cudjo Cave, and far-reaching views from the Pinnacle and my personal favorite, White Rocks.
A system of shorter and longer trails spurs directly from Wilderness Road Campground. Grab a detailed trail map at the campground entrance
station. Shorter paths include the Green-leaf Nature Trail, the Colson Trail, and the Honey Tree Spur Trail; longer ones include the Lewis Hollow Trail, which leads to Skylight Cave and the Pinnacle, and the Gibson Gap Trail. You can make a 10-mile loop out of the campground using the Gibson Gap, Ridge, and Lewis Hollow trails. Or drive over to the Cudjo Cave Area and take the Wilderness Road Trail to the Tri-State Trail and Tri-State Peak, where you can stand in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia all at once. From here, the Cumberland Trail heads south, ultimately reaching Signal Mountain near Chattanooga.
My favorite hike is at the east end of the park. Take US 58 East to Ewing; then turn left on VA 724. Take the Ewing Trail up to White Rocks, with its fantastic view south into the ridge-and-valley country of Virginia and Tennessee. Make a side trip to Sand Cave, a huge overhang with a floor of sand. Then loop back down to the trailhead. Take a ranger-guided walk back in time to the Hensley Settlement, a collection of pioneer homes that rivals anything in the southern Appalachians. Tour
reservations are recommended. Take time to stop by the park visitors center, with its many interesting displays about Cumberland Gap. Other ranger-guided activities are held daily during summer. No matter if it is spring, summer, or fall, make time to visit this treasure shared by three states.
Key Information about Wilderness Road Campground
ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1848, Middlesboro, KY 40965
OPERATED BY: National Park Service
CONTACT: 606-248-2817, nps . gov / cuga
OPEN: Year-round
SITES: 119 primitive, 41 electric
SITE AMENITIES: Picnic table, fire ring
ASSIGNMENT: First come, first served; no reservations
REGISTRATION: Self-registration on-site
FACILITIES: Hot showers, flush toilets, water spigots
PARKING: At campsites only FEE: $14 primitive; $20 electric ELEVATION: 1,300 feet
RESTRICTIONS in Wilderness Road Campground
¦ Pets: On 6-foot leash only
¦ Fires: In fire rings only
¦ Alcohol: At campsites only
¦ Vehicles: None
¦ Other: Bear-proof food storage rules in effect
Getting to Wilderness Road Campground
From the junction of US 25 East and KY 74 in Middlesboro, head south on US 25 East 2 miles to US 58. Turn left on US 58, and follow it east 2 miles to the Wilderness Road Campground entrance road, on your left.
GPS COORDINATES N36° 36.222' W83° 37.937'
