I Have Always Wanted to Visit Cumberland Gap

Jun 19, 2013 Wed0National Parks

In 2005 I got really interested in genealogy. I soon discovered my Williams ancestors, Edward and Daniel Williams, travelled through the Cumberland Gap in the spring of 1779. This is not hearsay. There were many land grants given to Revolutionary War veterans and sometimes the property lines were a little vague. Edward Williams, several of his lifetime associates and Daniel Williams, testified under oath in 1804-1805 in a land dispute case (not involving them) that Edward Williams first came to Boonesborough, District of KY, in 1779. Their testimony is documented in court records.

I don't know if the Williams travelled with Daniel Boone but it is likely they did and they certainly travelled through the Cumberland Gap. So after visiting the folks, Laurie and I decided to take the long way back to NC and go through Cumberland Gap. We returned to Norton, Va from Ky and visited Big Stone Gap, the setting for a series of books my mother and I have enjoyed. About this time I noticed the brakes were growling on the truck. A quick inspection of the front brakes indicated we probably needed new pads. We kept our eyes open for an auto parts store and the next little town had an Advanced Auto that had what we needed.

There are not a lot of options for campgrounds near Cumberland Gap and we were getting a little stressed with a sick truck. Every application of the brakes caused a grinding noise that ratcheted the stress up a little. We needed a place where we could do a front end brake job. We lucked out in Barboursville, Ky and found Thompson RV Park. A very nice place for a fair price.

I always carry a small hydraulic jack and I had most of my tools with me so replacing the front brake pads was no big deal. I even parked the truck so the campground hosts could not see me working on the truck since that is usually against the rules.

With a repaired truck and a good nights sleep we had a wonderful time the next day. The previous days rain had cleared the air and the temperature was very pleasant. Laurie likes caves and she quickly found a tour of Gap Cave in the brochures she likes to collect when we travel. It was the best $8.00 per person I have spent in a long time.

The tour started at 2:00 PM so we toured the small town of Cumberland Gap and hiked to an old iron furnace in the morning. A little before 2:00 we were at the starting point for the cave tour where we were issued flashlights. Most of the hike to the cave was along the original Wilderness Road. That was a very neat experience. My ancestors had walked this same path almost 250 years ago. The path was not expanded to a road until the 1790's so Edward, Daniel and their families walked or rode horses through the ancient virgin forests and carried everything they needed to start a new life in Ky. There were no wagons on this trip.

Jun 19, 2013 Wed 1:09:48 PM EDT Altitude: 1380 ft Camera: Nikon D5100Display on Google Map
Iron Furnance in the town of Cumberland Gap.
Laurie
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 1:11:47 PM EDT Altitude: 1413 ft Camera: Nikon D5100Display on Google Map
Iron Furnance in the town of Cumberland Gap.
Laurie
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 1:12:02 PM EDT Altitude: 1409 ft Camera: Nikon D3100Display on Google Map
Iron Furnance in the town of Cumberland Gap.
Bobby
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 1:28:20 PM EDT Altitude: 1361 ft Camera: Nikon D3100Display on Google Map
Train tunnel under Cumberland Gap.
Bobby
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 1:51:05 PM EDT Altitude: 1494 ft Camera: Nikon D5100Display on Google Map
Tracks in the concrete at the Wilderness Road to simulate the foot traffic in the 1770's
Laurie

Our cave tour guide was working on his doctorate in Civil War Military History and provided lots of interesting tidbits on the history of the cave. The whole Cumberland Gap area was occupied by both sides several times during the war.

Jun 19, 2013 Wed 2:32:54 PM EDT Altitude: 1628 ft Camera: Nikon D3100Display on Google Map
Gap Cave tour
Bobby
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 2:55:09 PM EDT
Gap Cave tour
Laurie
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 2:58:30 PM EDT
Gap Cave tour
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 3:27:00 PM EDT
Gap Cave tour
Laurie
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 3:46:46 PM EDT Altitude: 1727 ft Camera: Nikon D5100Display on Google Map
Gap Cave tour
Laurie

After the tour we drifted back down hill to the town of Cumberland Gap. While walking around the sleepy little town and taking a few photos we stumbled upon Angelos's in the Gap. It was a good stop. Some refreshing beverages, mouth watering garlic balls, great staff and custom made pizzas in a rustic environment made for a very pleasant end to the day.

Jun 19, 2013 Wed 5:25:28 PM EDT
Angelo's in the Gap, Cumberland Gap after the cave tour.
Bobby
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 5:50:09 PM EDT
Angelo's in the Gap, Cumberland Gap after the cave tour.
Laurie
Jun 19, 2013 Wed 5:54:43 PM EDT
Bed and Breakfast in Cumberland Gap

If you find yourself in the Cumberland Gap area I highly recommend the Gap Cave tour, Thompson's RV park and Angelo's in the Gap. The drive up to the Pinnacle Overlook is also nice and provides views down on the gap.

Andrews Geyser in Old Fort, North Carolina




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