Wilderness Road Heritage Highway
Kentucky
Map
Byway Details
- Designation
- National Scenic Byway
- Length
- 97 mi in Kentucky
About Wilderness Road Heritage Highway
Wilderness Road Heritage Highway is a 97-mile scenic drive through Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky, running from Cumberland Gap through Middlesborough, Pineville, Flat Lick, Artemus, Barbourville, London, East Bernstadt, Livingston, Mount Vernon and Berea. The route links a string of small towns along the park's corridor. Fall is the most comfortable time to drive it. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Tazewell, Tennessee, show October highs around 69°F with lows near 41°F, and September and October bring the fewest wet days of the year. The drive makes an easy base for exploring the surrounding trails and waterways. Thomas Walker Trail and the London Ranger District are both about 0.1 mile from the route, and Richland Creek offers canoeing at a similar distance. The Tri State Trail is about 0.3 mile away.
Scenic byway data: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: Apr–Oct. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 67–85°F and lows of 40–63°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Tazewell, TN weather station, 11 mi away. High / low in °F, and days with snow.
- Jan44° high23° low2 days with snow
- Feb48° high26° low2 days with snow
- Mar57° high31° low1 days with snow
- Apr67° high40° low
- May75° high50° low
- Jun82° high59° low
- Jul85° high63° low
- Aug84° high62° low
- Sep79° high55° low
- Oct69° high41° low
- Nov57° high31° low
- Dec47° high26° low1 days with snow
Where it is
- Cumberland Gap National Historical Park · National Park Service
- Towns along the route
- Cumberland Gap · Middlesborough · Pineville · Flat Lick · Artemus · Barbourville · London · East Bernstadt · Livingston · Mount Vernon · Berea
Source: NPS Land Resources boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Cumberland Gap National Historical Park as of Oct 9, 2026:
Trail Maintenance Underway Near Sand Cave
Information · posted Aug 25, 2026
Source: NPS Alerts API
Nearby
- Thomas Walker TrailHiking0.1 mi
- London Ranger DistrictRiver fishing0.1 mi
- Richland CreekCanoeing0.1 mi
- Cumberland TrailHiking0.2 mi
- Tri State TrailHiking0.3 mi
- Little Laurel RiverCanoeing0.3 mi
- Whitt's Ridge TrailHiking0.4 mi
- Roundstone CreekCanoeing0.4 mi
- Harlan Road TrailHiking0.4 mi
- Wilderness Road TrailHiking0.4 mi
- Little Rockcastle RiverCanoeing0.6 mi
- Laurel RiverCanoeing1.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 2 miles of the route, PostGIS distance)
