Cumberland Gap

Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap in winter
Elevation	1,631 ft (497 m)[1]
Traversed by	US 25E
Location	Kentucky  Tennessee  Virginia  United States
Range	Cumberland Mountains
Coordinates	36°36′15″N 83°40′25″W / 36.6041°N 83.6737°W / 36.6041; -83.6737
Topo map	USGS Middlesboro South
Location in the United States Show map of the United States Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Location in Kentucky Show map of Kentucky

The Cumberland Gap is a pass in the eastern United States through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains, within the Appalachian Mountains and near the tripoint of Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee. At an elevation of 1,631 feet (497 m) above sea level, it is famous in American colonial history for its role as a key passageway through the lower central Appalachians.

Long used by Native American nations, the Cumberland Gap was brought to the attention of settlers in 1750 by Thomas Walker, a Virginia physician and explorer. The path was used by a team of frontiersmen led by Daniel Boone, making it accessible to pioneers who used it to journey into the western frontiers of Kentucky and Tennessee. An important part of the Wilderness Road, it is now part of the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.