Kids at the Gap


Talk to Park Rangers About Becoming a Junior Ranger through a number of different activities! Here are some of the things you can do:
Help Keep the Park Clean! Pick up a trash bag at the Visitor Center and help the ranger staff keep the park clean. Watch out, though – you might do such a great job, the ranger staff will recruit you to be a full time ranger. Take a Hike! Ranging in length from ¼ mile to 19 miles, hiking trails are perfect for families. Lead the way and help your family discover Civil War forts, waterfalls and caves.
Skylight Cave is a great place to explore. The Skylight Cave Trailhead is located at the Wilderness Road Picnic Area. Bring a flashlight and look for the cave crickets hiding in cave crevices. Discover the hole in the cave ceiling which allows daylight to filter into the cave. Walk in the Footsteps of Daniel Boone! Visit with a park ranger and try on a hunting shirt and a tri-cornered hat similar to those worn by Daniel Boone. Guess what – Daniel Boone didn't wear a coonskin cap. In the winter and in the rain, coonskin caps would get very wet and begin to smell. Tri-cornered hats, favored by Daniel Boone, were made from felt and kept one warm, even when wet.

Dance with a Limber Jack! Limber jacks are dancing toys. Carved by Appalachian craftsmen, the limber jacks provided youngsters in the mountains hours of excitement. Try your hand with a dancing bear, and see if you can become an expert with a peg top. Become an Enlisted Civil War Soldier! Listen to a Confederate soldier as he talks about life at the Gap during the Civil War. Learn about hardtack and hear the legend of Long Tom, a cannon so huge it could strike fear into the opposing enemy. Beware of signing any papers, though – you might end up as a new recruit in the army…

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kids.htm/updated 5/10/99