Alerts

Visitors are urged to recreate responsibly and follow the precautions recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with local and state health and safety guidance. For visitors with questions regarding COVID-19, please visit the CDC’s website. Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is located in Lyon and Trigg Counties, KY and Stewart County, TN. To find COVID community levels and prevention steps by county, please see the CDC’s “COVID-19 by County” tool on their website.

Campgrounds & Developed Camping Areas 

• Campgrounds and camping areas are open for their normal hours of operation.

Facilities

• Turkey Bay OHV Area is temporarily closed due to downed trees blocking the trails and will reopen on Friday, March 17 at 8am. 
• While North Welcome Station is open for normal hours of operation, its phone service is currently down. Visitors may call the Golden Pond Visitor Center until phone service is restored: 270.924.2233.
• Due to safety concerns with the stability of Jones Creek Bridge, access to Jones Creek boat ramp is temporarily closed.

Hunting

• Check the Hunting page for the latest hunting season information.
• Hunting is not permitted within 150 yards of any Land Between the Lakes facility. Waterfowl hunting is not permitted within 200 yards of a refuge boundary. State regulations should be followed while on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.
• Night hunting for coyotes is prohibited on Land Between the Lakes. 
• No hog hunting. It is illegal to chase, hunt, transport, or release feral hogs on Land Between the Lakes. Those caught are subject to citation. Learn more on our feral hog information webpage.

Prescribed Burn Information

• 3/15: Land Between the Lakes fire managers are conducting a prescribed burn within the Nature Watch Demonstration Area on Wednesday, March 15. To allow for increased safety during the operations, Silver Trail Road/FS Road 133 and Mulberry Flat Road/FS Road 135 will be temporarily closed. Additionally, FS Road 134 may experience intermittent closures. Hematite Day Use Area, Hematite Trail, and the Center Furnace Trail will be closed Wednesday and potentially Thursday, and will reopen when deemed safe for the public. Taylor Bay, Honker Bay Day Use Area, Empire Farm, and the Woodlands Nature Station can be accessed via FS Road 134 from Highway 68/80. See map of prescribed burn area.
• Prescribed fire is a fire management tool that allows us to reintroduce the benefits of fire to the landscape in a safe and controlled way. Forest land managers prescribe fire to forest areas as a way to enhance wildlife habitat, reduce forest fuels (like brush, dry leaves, and shrubs), and improve the general health of the recreation area. 

Roads

• Numerous downed trees from recent severe weather are currently impacting road access throughout Land Between the Lakes. Please use caution when traveling throughout the recreation area.
  • • Road 213 is temporarily closed on the northern side due to a culvert washout. To access Sills I Cemetery, use Road 214. 
    • Road 215 is temporarily closed due to a culvert washout. 
• Due to safety concerns with the stability of Jones Creek Bridge, access to FS Road 172-C and Jones Creek boat ramp is temporarily closed.
• Email [email protected] to report road issues or damage. You can also message us on Facebook @LBLNatlRecArea.

Trails 

• Visitors planning to use trails should use extreme caution due to hazardous conditions. Land Between the Lakes was recently hit by a high wind event resulting in fallen trees and hanging limbs. 
• Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle Area is temporarily CLOSED due to downed trees blocking the trails. It will reopen on Friday, March 17 at 8am. 
• North/South Trail:
  • A detour has been established to bypass a tornado-damaged section of the North/South Trail. Approximately 7.9 miles of the North/South Trail and 0.80 miles of the North/South-Ft. Henry Connector Trail are closed until further notice between South Welcome Station and FS Roads 221, 222, and 230. Barricades are placed on the trail at these locations. The detour (approx. 6.4 miles) uses portions of the Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway and FS Road 221 and provides trail users extra clearance around ongoing and planned tornado recovery and salvage logging operations. Trail users should look for “detour” decals on white posts installed at intersections and follow the white diamonds between posts. The red line on this map represents the trail closures and the yellow line is the detour.
• Fort Henry Trail:
  • Portions of the Ft. Henry trail system were severely damaged during the December 10, 2021 tornadoes. As a result, Pickett Loop, Connector #1 (from Boswell Landing), and Connector #2 (from Ft. Henry Trailhead/FS Road 232), are closed until further notice as a safety precaution around ongoing and planned timber salvage operations. Ft. Henry Trailhead will remain open for visitor parking however this may change as salvage operations progress closer to the area.  On this map, the orange lines represent the associated trail closures. Read the Fort Henry Safety Fact Sheet for more information.
• Trail Safety in Tornado-Impacted Areas:
  • Numerous downed and damaged trees have resulted in impassible trails, dangerous conditions, and public safety concerns.
  • Storm-damaged trees can fall unpredictably, causing injury or death.
  • Do not enter a closed or tornado-impacted area. 
• NOTE: Water is not available on trails.
  • There are a few seasonal springs. You must carry water and/or bring a filter to use when you find water (lake shore). Water is available at Golden Pond Visitor Center and Land Between the Lakes dump stations.

Wildlife Refuges

• Wildlife Refuges are open March 16, 2023 – October 31, 2023.
• From November 1, 2023 through March 15, 2024, seasonal wildlife refuge closures include:
  • • Portions of Duncan Bay, Smith Bay, and Rushing Bay on Kentucky Lake
    • Fulton Bay and Honker Bay on Lake Barkley
      Western one-third of Energy Lake; all of Energy Lake and Bards Lake are closed to hunting; eastern two-thirds of Energy Lake and all of Bards Lake remain open to fishing
    • Duncan Lake
    • Long Creek Refuge at the back of Elbow Bay
    • Hematite Lake and Honker Lake closed to fishing and boating; trails open
    • Refuge closures provide undisturbed resting and feeding areas for waterfowl, shorebirds, and eagles. Staff at Land Between the Lakes asks for public cooperation with refuge regulations designed to provide needed sanctuary.