CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn. — The Virginia side of Cumberland Mountain is limestone country. It’s where most of the 36 known caves in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park are located, and it’s where this hike begins.
The 7.5-mile loop consists of numerous segments that take you to the top of Cumberland Mountain and back down through the saddle of Cumberland Gap. The hike is moderately strenuous, and the scenery — everything from rocky overlooks to creek bottom fields — is unparalleled.
The first leg of the hike starts on the Lewis Hollow Trail at the back side of the Wilderness Road Campground. From the trailhead, hike .2 miles and take a right at the sign to begin the loop. The Lewis Hollow Trail is steep as it climbs for one mile to the ridgetop of Cumberland Mountain. Much of the trail follows a deep, boulder-strewn drainage armored by towering limestone cliffs. At .8 miles you’ll pass by the opening of Skylight Cave, now closed to the public because of white-nose syndrome, the lethal fungal disease that’s spreading among bats.
Just past Skylight Cave the Lewis Hollow Trail crosses a footbridge. Above the bridge the stream channel is filled with water; below the bridge, the stream disappears underground, leaving the channel bone dry. Among wildflower aficionados, the Lewis Hollow Trail is known for its pink lady slippers that bloom in late spring and summer.
After one mile the Lewis Hollow Trail reaches the crest of Cumberland Mountain. A left at the trail signs puts you on the Ridge Trail — the park’s main trail artery — toward the Pinnacle Overlook. This 1.8-mile segment of the hike skirts the Virginia-Kentucky line along the ridge top. The terrain is rolling, and the trail is in excellent shape.
Just before reaching the Pinnacle Overlook, look for a rock bluff on the left that overlooks the Powell River Valley in Lee County, Va. Just before we reached this point, we spotted a peregrine falcon flying just above the tree line, perhaps headed toward White Rocks, the cliff face at the northeast end of the park that’s a known peregrine nesting site.
The Pinnacle Overlook is one of the park’s most popular attractions. The cliff face rises 1,290 feet above the town of Cumberland Gap. To the northwest is Middlesboro, Ky. — one of the few cities in the world built in a meteor impact crater — and on the other side of the gap is the northern end of the Cumberland Trail.
From the Pinnacle Overlook, hike down to the parking lot and take a left on the Fort McCook Trail. This trail goes down the Kentucky side of the mountain past the faint remnants of earthen forts and rifle pits built during the Civil War. After .8 miles, you’ll reach the Fort McCook parking lot where you’ll pick up the Harlan Road Trail and then hike another .5 miles down the mountain (crossing the paved Pinnacle Road twice) to the saddle of Cumberland Gap.
The next segment of the loop follows the Wilderness Road-Tennessee Trail for .9 miles through the historic Cumberland Gap. A log footbridge takes you over Gap Creek as it tumbles out of Gap Cave, and the trail goes right by the Daniel Boone Parking Area, which features rest rooms, picnic tables, and interpretive exhibits.
From the Daniel Boone Parking Area the hike begins its final leg along the Boone Trail back to the Wilderness Road Campground. For 1.6 miles the Boone Trail hugs the base of Cumberland Mountain as it reaches into Southwest Virginia. To the right, through a copse of woods, is U.S. Route 58. The trail crosses old home sites that have been reclaimed by broom sedge, cedar, and sycamore trees. There’s a creek nearby, and the brushy habitat makes for excellent bird watching.
After 1.6 miles the Boone Trail reaches the paved road. Take left toward the Wilderness Road Campground and hike a few hundred yards to the top of the hill. Re-enter the woods at the Lewis Hollow Trail sign and hike .7 miles until you reach the same Lewis Hollow sign that marked the beginning of the loop early in the hike. Take a right at that sign, and it’s .2 miles back to the Wilderness Road Campground.
Directions: From the town of Cumberland Gap, head east on Route 58 for approximately two miles and turn left into the Wilderness Road Campground. The Lewis Hollow Trailhead is at the back end of the campground in the paved parking area.
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