Our growing family used to camp all of the time. Years ago it was the back country thing and then we shifted gears towards car camping. Child number three has never been with us, and now number four is on the way (can’t figure out what’s causing that), so we’re bound and determined to head out at least a couple of times this summer.
Anyways, one of the destinations I have in mind will be new for us - Land Between the Lakes. Looks like an ideal spot for us from everything I’ve read. Everyone enjoys being in the boats and day hiking. My oldest son and I may take our mountain bikes along too. So, my question is which of the campgrounds would be best for us? My wife will want showers and toilets available in the campground. We don’t want a wild late night crowd but don’t necessarily need an “early curfew” super quiet spot. We would like direct (or almost direct) water access from the camp site. We’ll have our car and a single large tent. Convenient access to a playground wouldn’t be a bad thing for the two younger boys.
Any thoughts? Any specific site recommendations within a particular camp ground?
Thanks!
Bump
I don’t have info, but I want to see what suggestions folks have. I have toyed with doing a week-long self-contained trip “around the horn”, but may have to settle for car camping and day trips.
Jim
My son took me there last month
when I went and visited him. There is a campsite for 4-wheeler folk, equestrians and others.
It is a nice area, saw some bald eagles, and took the auto tour through the preserve where they have bison and elk. I can’t really comment on the camping but…
Here’s a link:
http://www.explorekentuckylake.com/
ML
LBL
I have the pleasure of living 10 minutes from the LBL. Canoeing, Kayaking, Fishing, Camping, Hiking, Geocaching (see geocaching.com for details) & Mountain Biking opportunities abound in the park. Camping can be anything from primitive to cabins (Kentucky Dam Village - not in the LBL but close) and everything in between. See my answer to a post in the "Getting Together & Going Paddling" section of the BB. As far as doing the "Around the Horn" trip, there was an article in the March 2003 issue of Experience Kentucky Magazine about a bunch that did it. They started in Tenn on the Barkley Lake side and paddled north and west and south and ended up back in Tenn on the Kentucky Lake side. One of the fellows who did it was Craig Sims, owner of Hoopers in Paducah (not far) which is the only full time Kayak dealer in the area. Hoopers has a web site at hoopers.net .
There is a summer time Kayak dealer called Kentucky Kayak Kountry in Grand Rivers just north of the LBL on the Trace, the road that runs north & south through the park.
Another outdoor resource is Gander Mountain in Paducah.
The LBL has a website, lbl.org which will tell you about the facilities and the reservation process.
I don't paddle the main lakes much, as I am primarly a fishing kayaker and the 3 lakes and one pond in the LBL are very productive and not subjected to the 300 HP Bass Boats and barge traffic.
Hope to see you in the park,
Budd (sand colored Perception Sundance - usually with a flyrod in my hand)
glad for this post
did a 50 miler in a canoe—Boy Scouting—years ago as a teen and remember only the Bison and the deer ticks that looked like freckles between my fingers…I need to return. I looked up the Piney Campground, looks like it would hold 1000 RV’s!
I’m thinking this may be a destination for mid-fall, thinking that summer may be too too hot. Thanks again for the posts on LBL