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Cumberland Gap National Historical ParkEstablished on June 11, 1940, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in southeastern Kentucky. The Cumberland Gap is a sizable natural break in the Appalachian Mountains. The gap was long used by Native Americans, as many species of migratory animals passed through it from north to south each year. It was fertile hunting territory and the only easy cut through the mountains from the southern wintering grounds of wild deer and buffalo to their northern summer range. Starting around 1775, the Gap became the primary route of transit for American settlers moving west into Kentucky; between 1775 and 1810 as many as 300,000 thousand settlers may have used the Gap. The current Park preserves the natural beauty of the surrounding area while focussing more on historic preservation, including tours through the old Hensley Settlement, trips into Gap Cave (once used for shelter by traveling Indians and settlers), campfire programs and demonstrations of the settlers' lifestyle, Living History events, and Appalachian music festivals and concerts. The Park covers 20,508 acres (83 km²), and saw just under 1 million visitors in 2003. External links http://www.nps.gov/cuga/
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