August 3 - Hello Kentucky: Cumberland Gap National Historic Park

What a great day trip to Kentucky! Today I traveled north to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. The views of Cumberland Gap were amazing. But in some ways the adventure getting there was more interesting – riding the backroads of Tennessee, driving through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel under the park twice, making it up one of the most challenging roads I’ve ever ridden, and getting to straddle two states at once.

Today I headed north from Chattanooga Tennessee towards Kentucky, first on interstate 75 then on highway 33. The ride on 33 was so pleasant – rolling hills, wide curves, and plenty of beautiful scenery – meadows, farms, forests, lakes, rivers, and small towns in abundance. The temperature was blissfully mild, and I was savoring every moment of it after days of scorching heat and humidity further south.

Visiting the park was an adventure from the very beginning, starting with driving through the 4,600 foot Cumberland Gap Tunnel that runs under the park and carries travelers from one state (Tennessee) to another (Kentucky). Apparently, there are only two tunnels in the US that straddle a state line in that manner.

After entering the park, I saw a sign at the beginning of the road up to the Pinnacle Overlook warning motorists to drive with caution. Little did I know how true those words were. The four-mile-long Skyline Road is one of the most challenging roads I have ever ridden, if not the most challenging. The road contains numerous hair pin turns around blind corners with no signage regarding recommended speeds. In addition, the curves are often on a steep grade and at a sidewise angle.

On one curve in particular, I came around a blind corner to find the road rising sharply up at the same time it fell off to the right. I actually felt the bike start to go down but somehow managed to right it. I think that is the closest I have ever come to dropping a bike in the middle of a road. I was a little shook up by the experience and was absolutely delighted to make it all the way up and back down again without dropping the bike.

The best part of the walk to the overlook was a spot on the trail with a line down the middle of it and the word “Kentucky” on one side and “Virginia” on the other. It was so much fun to stand with one foot in Kentucky and the other in Tennessee!

At the overlook I was able to see the Cumberland Gap—a pass through the long ridge of the Cumberland Mountains within the Appalachian Mountains. Although the day was rather hazy it was still beautiful to be able to see the countryside from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia in one place. What a great way to experience Kentucky!