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Increase in camping rates at the Wilderness Road campground
Effective June 1, 2013, camping rates will increase. Tent sites will increase to $14.00 per night and RV sites with electrical hookup will increase to $20.00 per night. Group camp sites will increase to $35.00 per night.
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Special Program offered in place of Hensley tour on June 16
The regularly scheduled Hensley tour will not be offered on June 16 but will be replaced by a special Father's Day program. The road to the Hensley Settlement will be open to visitors and living history demonstrations will be offered. More »
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Cave Tour Alert!
White Nose Syndrome is a disease that is killing bats in great numbers and has been found in park caves. While visiting Gap Cave please do not wear or bring anything that has been in other caves. Skylight Cave is currently closed.
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Civil War Event Cancelled
Invisible Souls: Behind the Veil of the Civil War, a special event showcasing stories of the Civil War October 4, 5, and 6, 2013 has been cancelled. Please call the park visitor center at (606) 248-2817, extension 1075 for more information.
Geologic Formations
Sand Cave Photo by John Graves Along the south face of Cumberland Mountain, in Virginia, are over 30 caves varying from 20 feet to over sixteen miles in length. These caves occur in the Greenbrier Limestone formation. Some of the caves contain vertical shafts up to 125 feet deep as well as small, tight, crawl-ways large enough for a small person or child to enter. The caves are rich in wildlife including numerous species of bats, salamanders, aquatic invertebrates, cave crickets, and small rodents. Most of the caves in the park are closed to the publlic, however, ranger guided tours of spectacular Gap Cave are offered throughout the year. Sand Cave, a natural scenic area in Kentucky, is a half-domed chamber, 250 feet across in front (open). The floor slopes from back to front and is 1.25 acres of fine, colorful sand. At the east end of the park are 500-foot cliffs known as White Rocks. These cliffs rise above the surrounding wooded slopes and offer the visitor a 360-degree view of the surrounding area. |
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Did You Know?
Between 1775 and 1810 some 300,000 settlers crossed Cumberland Gap and began settling the land west of the Appalachians. These brave pioneers were following dreams of prosperity in the wilderness of Kentucky.