North Of Knoxville, Tennessee Is A Tri-State National Park With Camping And Hiking Trails

Let's say you wanted to plan a vacation where you could visit multiple states easily, get incredible natural views and scenery, and learn about American history. While you could spend time researching whether such a spot exists in the United States, we'll save you the time: it's Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

As the name suggests, this park is woven into the fabric of the country's history, namely because the famous Cumberland Gap is what allowed many settlers to travel west and colonize new territories. The park showcases some of this history and helps you imagine what life must have been like for people headed west 200 years ago.

But what about the multiple states angle? Well, the park straddles Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, so you can be in all three states during your visit, especially if you decide to camp overnight and experience everything the park has to offer. So, let's pack it up and see what Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is all about.

One of the best ways to experience Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is to hike along the roughly 85 miles of trails scattered throughout the area. These trails allow you to explore virtually every nook and cranny of the park, including some of the best vistas in the region. For example, there's the Pinnacle Overlook, where you can gaze out over the stunning town of Cumberland Gap, which features its own shops and delicious food. Another trail takes you to the historical iron furnace, which was built in 1819 and operated for decades, supplying the region with valuable metal. Finally, you can hike to the tri-state peak overlook, where you can stand in and view all three states at once, akin to the lookout point at Rock City, one of Georgia's most-visited attractions.

While you can hike around the park on your own, you can also register for two guided tours to learn more about the site's history. The first is the Hensley Settlement Tour, which costs $10 per person (at the time of this writing) and runs from mid-May through October. The settlement itself was established in 1903 and remains remarkably well-preserved today. The second is the Gap Cave Tour, which costs $8 per person and runs from May through August. The cave was even used during the Civil War, adding to its historical significance.

However, if you're really interested in Civil War history, you can explore the remains of various forts throughout the park, some of which still have cannons on display.

Although the Cumberland Gap was instrumental in helping people travel, getting to the gap is ironically somewhat difficult if you're flying in from somewhere else. The closest commercial airport is Knoxville's McGhee-Tyson Airport, although it is notorious for flight delays. It's about an hour and 45 minutes south of the park.

Camping is available at the park, which you can do in two different ways. First, you can get a backcountry camping permit at the visitor center and pitch a tent at one of the five designated backcountry campsites. This option is best if you're looking to get away from civilization as much as possible. While the permit is free, you do have to provide a travel itinerary, complete with your contact information and the details of everyone you're camping with during your visit.

The second option is to camp at the Wilderness Campground, which features 150 campsites, 43 of which have electrical hookups if you're visiting in an RV. However, none of the sites are limited to RVs or tents, so car camping is allowed if you're interested. The campground provides various amenities, including showers, restrooms, a dump station, a camp store (which operates seasonally), and fire rings. At the time of this writing, sites cost $24 per night with electricity and $18 without. Senior discounts are also available.