Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area

Land Between The Lakes (LBL) is a 170,000 acre National Recreation Area nestled between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, created by PresidentJohn F. Kennedy in 1961. Native wildlife such as deer, wild turkey, bobcat, bald eagle, osprey, and many other species call the wooded peninsula home.LBL also maintains herds of elk and bison in a 750-acre habitat restoration area called the Elk & Bison Prairie.In addition to water sports, LBL contains over 200 miles of hiking, mountain biking, horseback and Off-Highway Vehicle trails which are openyear-round. Other popular outdoor activities at LBL include camping, hunting, fishing, cycling, wildlife viewing and photography, and picnicking.Visitors can drive through the Elk & Bison Prairie in search of wildlife; other interpretive facilities are The Homeplace-1850, a living history farm in which interpreters in period clothing demonstrate the life and work of an 1850's farm family; The Nature Station, an environmental education center which leads wildlife viewing excursions and offers other programming; and the Golden Pond Planetarium & Observatory, which offers regularly-scheduled planetarium shows and telescope viewing sessions.

From Paducah, go east on I-24 and take Exit 31 to Hwy. 453 south towards Grand Rivers. Cross the canal between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley andcontinue on 4-5 miles into LBL. The road becomes The Trace. You will arrive at the North Welcome Station.From Nashville, take I-24 west into Kentucky to the Cadiz/Hopkinsville exit, exit 65.Take Hwy. 68/80 west through Cadiz and across the Lake Barkley Bridge. You are now in Land Between the Lakes. Approximately 4 miles into LBL there will be a median in the road and several signs, one directing you to the LBL Visitor Center