During the late 1700s, moving westward in America meant crossing the Appalachian Mountains. Dr. Thomas Walker was one of the first easterners to document an easier crossing point, the Cumberland Gap. It wasn't long afterward before America's famous pioneer, Daniel Boone, was commissioned to to blaze a road through the gap. The Wilderness Road opened up the West, and settlers seemed to stream into Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley. Between 1780 and 1810, an estimated quarter of a million restless pioneers headed through the gap in search of new land.
   The Cumberland Gap National Historic Park offers a fascinating look at this transformation of America. The National Park Service had also taken on the monumental task of removing the gap highway and restoring the area to its former appearance. After the U.S. Route 25E tunnel was completed, the parks service moved to reestablish the Wilderness Road as it once was.
   This view from the Pinnacle Overlook is only 40 feet away from the Kentucky-Virginia border. Here on top of Cumberland Mountain, sightseers are able to enjoy views into three states, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. Almost below your feet lies the famous Cumberland Gap and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. To the west is Middlesboro, Kentucky, and to the south is Harrogate and Shawnee, Tennessee.

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