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.

All information on the Alerts webpage is up-to-date as of May 31, 2023.

Campgrounds & Developed Camping Areas 

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

Facilities

• 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

• There are currently no prescribed burns in effect.
• 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 (brush, dry leaves, and shrubs), decrease risk of catastrophic wildfire, and improve the general health of the recreation area. 

Roads

• 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 

• Turkey Bay Off-Highway Vehicle Area is OPEN. 
  
  • Turkey Trot Youth Trail will be temporarily closed on Friday, June 16 for a volunteer trail improvement project. Turkey Bay OHV Area will remain open this day.
• North/South Trail:
  • Portions of the North/South Trail are closed due to tornado damage and ongoing recovery and timber salvage efforts. A detour on the northern end of the route has been established to promote visitor safety around these operations.
    Approximately 7.9 miles of the North/South Trail and 0.80 miles of the North/South-Ft. Henry Connector Trail on the southern end of the route are closed until further notice between South Welcome Station and FS Roads 221, 222, and 230. Barricades are placed on the trails 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.
• Hillman Heritage Trail and North End Paved Trail:
  Portions of the Hillman Heritage Trail and North End Paved Trail are temporarily closed due to ongoing tornado timber salvage operations and to continue promoting visitor safety around these operations.
• Fort Henry Trail:
  • Portions of the Ft. Henry trail system have been impacted by severe tornado damage. 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. 
• 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 (along lakeshore). Water is available at Golden Pond Visitor Center and Land Between the Lakes dump stations.

Weather

• Kentucky Severe Weather Briefing
• Tennessee Severe Weather Briefing

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.