Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area encompasses approximately 170,000 acres of forested peninsula between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake in far western Kentucky and Tennessee, managed by the US Forest Service. The peninsula stretches roughly 40 miles from north to south through Lyon and Trigg counties in Kentucky, forming one of the largest undeveloped forested areas in the eastern United States. The area's most distinctive wildlife attraction is the Elk and Bison Prairie — a 700-acre enclosed prairie in the northern section of the peninsula — where a free-roaming herd of American bison and a growing elk herd can be observed from a three-mile paved drive-through loop. The Woodlands Nature Station in the central section houses native reptiles, raptors, white-tailed deer, and river otters in naturalistic enclosures that allow close-up wildlife education for visitors of all ages. The Golden Pond Visitor Center, adjacent to the Golden Pond Planetarium, provides orientation exhibits on the area's ecology and operates the only public planetarium in Kentucky, with scheduled star shows year-round. Recreational infrastructure includes 350 miles of multipurpose trails for hiking, mountain biking, and equestrian use, plus approximately 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline on both lakes for fishing, kayaking, paddleboarding, and sailing. The Wranglers Campground in the northern section specifically accommodates equestrian visitors with more than 200 horse stalls. Hunting is permitted on much of the area during regulated seasons, and the combination of managed forests and lake habitat makes Land Between the Lakes one of western Kentucky's premier deer, turkey, and waterfowl hunting destinations. In September and October, bull elk engage in bugling that draws wildlife photographers and naturalists from across the region.