Warriors Path

Route
Trail from the mouth of the Cumberland Gap, near Cumberland Gap, Tennessee to the Ohio river at Shawneetown, Kentucky. Later know as the Wilderness Road.

Historical background
For centuries, the Cherokee and the Shawnee traveled through the Cumberland Gap along a game trail known by the Shawnee as Athiamiowee. Although neither tribe lived in Kentucky, both would travel the path in and out of Kentucky which was used as a hunting ground. Bitter enemies, these two tribes regularly attacked one another. In the 1750's english speakers began referring to the trail as the Warrior's Path. As early settlers and pioneers began to explore Kentucky and beyond, many were killed in confrontations with the indians. The Warrior's Path was a game trail that was used by both the Shawnee to the north, and the Cherokee to the south. This trail was used for centuries by both tribes and by wildlife in the region. As pioneers began to come through Cumberland Gap in the late 1700's the trail became part of what was known as the Wilderness Road.