The Wilderness Road Campground at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is now reservation-only through recreation.gov/NPS file

The Wilderness Road Campground at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Virginia has been added to the online recreation.gov reservation portal, bringing an end to first-come, first-served access to the campground.

Park staff say that in the past those who camped there regularly often had to rush to the campground on holidays and popular weekends, hoping they could get their favorite campsite before it was taken. Those traveling from far away who wanted to camp in the park risked traveling great distances only to find that no campsite is available, a park release added. With Recreation.gov, 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, it added.

All Wilderness Road Campground campsites can now be reserved through Recreation.gov as early as six months in advance. Group camping sites can be reserved up to 12 months in advance!

To book a campsite, just 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 try to book your campsite using your smartphone. 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.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park preserves the first great gateway to the west, where Daniel Boone and more than 300,000 settlers crossed the Appalachians. Located where Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet, the park 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. ET until 4 p.m. ET. Admission to the park is free.