Travel Guide Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area

The Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area is a vast 1 700 ha strip of land located on Kentucky and Tennessee, surrounded by both sides by Barkley Lake (to the east) and Kentucky Lake (west). The area was designated a national recreation area by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. It was designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1991 and is managed by the US Forest Service. The Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area is crossed east by US 68 (9 miles) and north to south by Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway, or Trace Road (42 miles). Essentially reserved for boating and fishing, Land Between The Lakes also offers a bison and elk observation zone called Elk & Bison Prairie. A pay access (Elk & Bison Prairie Road) loop can be borrowed by visitors to the vehicle. The visitor centre is located in Golden Pond in the centre of the park. They include a host office, information brochures, children's playground, washrooms and a modest planetarium. Two welcome stations (Welcome Stations) are located at the north and south end of the park. Several campsites and an accommodation area are also located in or near the park.For those who will head south and Tennessee, that Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway (or The Trace) is the first link in the Tennessee River Trail circuit.