Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is a protected zone between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in the United States, spanning across Kentucky and Tennessee. The peninsula stretches roughly 40 miles from north to south and contains forests, wetlands, prairie areas, and numerous shoreline sections along both human-made lakes.

The federal government created this recreation area in 1963 by building two dams on the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River. More than 800 families left their homes and farms to make room for the rising lakes and the new peninsula.

The Elk and Bison Prairie covers a two square mile area where visitors can watch these once native species grazing and moving through open grassland. The animals roam freely within their enclosure, giving an impression of how the region looked before European settlement.

The area remains accessible throughout the year, with spring and autumn offering the most comfortable conditions for hiking and water activities. Visitors find camping areas, boat launches, and trails distributed along the entire length of the peninsula, while the Golden Pond Visitor Center provides orientation and background information.

The Homeplace displays a working farmstead from the 1850s where staff in period clothing perform traditional tasks such as blacksmithing, open-hearth cooking, and field work using historical tools. Visitors can walk through log cabins, barns, and gardens while observing the routines of a pre-Civil War farm.

Location: Stewart County

Location: Lyon County

Location: Trigg County

Operator: United States Forest Service

Website: https://landbetweenthelakes.us

GPS coordinates: 36.85690,-88.07470

Latest update: December 14, 2025 19:47