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Camping at Wilderness Road Campground, in Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, has always been first come, first served with no reservations other than group camping. Those who camp there regularly often have to rush to the campground on holidays and popular weekends, hoping they can get their favorite campsite before it’s taken. Those traveling from far away who want to camp in the park and visit the area risk traveling all the way here only to find that no campsite is available. Too often they decide not to take that chance and they change their travel plans, depriving area communities of tourism and economic benefits.

Now, with Recreation.gov, regular campers can be sure of which campsite they will get, and travelers will come to the area knowing that they have a place to camp.

As of March 15, all Wilderness Road Campground campsites will be reserved through Recreation.gov. Campers can now reserve sites as early as 6 months in advance, or they can come to the campground and book a site for the same night through Recreation.gov if it is available. Group camping sites can be reserved up to 12 months in advance.

To book a campsite, go to Recreation.gov and search for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park or Wilderness Road Campground. Or, call 1-877-444-6777. You can also download the Recreation.gov mobile app and book your campsite using your smartphone. Note that all campsites must now be booked and paid for through Recreation.gov. Fees for campsites are $18/night for non-electric sites (or $9/night with an Interagency Senior or Access Pass) and $24/night for electric sites (or $12/night with an Interagency Senior or Access Pass). Fees for group campsites are $39/night.

For more information or assistance, go to Recreation.gov, call 1-877-444-6777, stop by the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Visitor Center, or call 606-248-2817. You can also find links and more information on the Campgrounds page of the park’s website.

The Recreation.gov platform is a multi-agency effort among 12 federal agencies, including the National Park Service, to make reservations and site information available to the public through the Recreation One Stop government program. Recreation.gov serves as a source for travel ideas, trip planning, booking and social storytelling across America’s public lands, waterways, monuments and more.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park preserves the first great gateway to the west, where Daniel Boone and over 300,000 settlers crossed the Appalachians. The park is located where Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia meet and includes over 24,000 acres with more than 85 miles of trails and over 14,000 acres of recommended wilderness. The visitor center, located in Middlesboro, Kentucky, is open daily from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission to the park is free.

For more information visit the website or check out the Facebook page.

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 419 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at: www.nps.gov, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.