Part of the
Appalachian Mountains system, the Cumberland Mountains extend across part of eastern Tennessee and Kentucky, and form the boundary between Virginia and Kentucky. Streams have carved a complex pattern of narrow, steep-sided valleys into the mountains. Overall, the Cumberlands rise about 2000 feet above sea level, with some ridges 500 to 1000 feet higher yet. The
Cumberland Gap is a natural pass through the range. The Cumberland River, an important branch of the
Ohio River rises in the Cumberland Mountains in eastern Kentucky.
