Cumberland Forest is a unit of the Forest Resources Education and Research Center consisting of approximately 8,360.7 acres in two tracts. There are 5,480.7 acres in Morgan County and 2,880 acres in Scott County. UT acquired the property in 1936 and assigned it to the Agricultural Experiment Station (now AgResearch) in 1947.
Prior to acquisition by UT, the property had been heavily mined and logged. There are approximately 227.92 acres in inactive coal contour (strip) mines on the property, as well as deep shaft and auger drilled mines. Remnants of a long-term logging camp, heavy timber harvesting across the property, and several cleared farms which existed prior to UT ownership are also present.
There are approximately 38.25 miles of roads, which serviced activities previous to UT ownership. The property contains two water utility tanks servicing the communities of Mossy Grove and Coalfield, two main gas lines, and a main power transmission line.