"The story of the first doorway to the west is commemorated at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, located where the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet. Carved by wind and water, Cumberland Gap forms a major break in the formidable Appalachian Mountain chain. First used by large game animals in their migratory journeys, followed by Native Americans, the Cumberland Gap was the first and best avenue for the settlement of the interior of this nation. From 1775 to 1810, the Gap's heyday, between 200,000 and 300,000 men, women, and children crossed the Gap into the unknown land of Kentucky." - CGNHP Website

The Ridge Trail runs the length of the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park, and as it's name implies, runs along the ridge of the Cumberland mountain. In places, this ridge is as narrow as 10 feet and drops steeply to both sides. The views from atop the Cumberland Mountain can be breathtaking at times, especially at Pinnacle overlook (the trailhead) and White Rocks (the trail's end). The entire hike is at about 3000' above sea level, so if there is any cloud cover, you won't see much more than fog.

There is an abundance of wildlife in the Cumberland Gap Park. According to a park ranger, they often see white-tail deer, black bear, turkeys and an occasional Elk. On our hike, we saw a few white-tails and a couple turkeys.

There are a few attractions along the Ridge trail that are worth seeing:

Overall, the trail is moderate to hike. There are a few rather steep, strenuous climbs along the way that will take your breath, but none that are all that long. The Ridge Trail can easily be hiked in 3 days if you would like to see all of the attractions along the trail. If you are in good shape and in a hurry, you could probably hike the entire trail in 2 days.

There are a few campgrounds along the trail, and camping is restricted to those campsites. If you plan to hike the Ridge Trail from west to east, then your best option is to camp at Gibson Gap on the 1st night and at Hensley, Chadwell or Martin's Fork on the 2nd night. make sure you register with the Visitor's center before you begin your hike.

At Martin's Fork there is a rustic cabin for rent for a fee of $10 per night. We rented the cabin, but upon arrival, we opted to sleep outside. We spoke with the people that stayed there the night before, and they had problems with mice and rats all night long, and we felt that we could sleep better in our tent under the stars. Also, the cabin was filthy dirty, smelled like an out-house and was full of trash from past visitors. The yard behind the cabin is flat and confortable and makes a great camping area.

The majority of the Ridge Trail is shared with horses, so you will need to keep that in mind as you hike. You will encounter horse-flies, horse manure and shreded trail from the horse hoves. Also, you should respect the horse riders when you encounter them, and let the horses pass without spooking them. Horses can be unpredictable at times.

One of the most important points to keep in mind when hiking the Ridge Trail, is the complete lack of water. There are 4 water spots that we found along the entire trail, and in hot and dry weather, 2 or 3 of them might go dry. We found water at these locations:

See our pictures Here!