Explore the Outdoors at the Lakes

Kentucky Lake

Disconnect and immerse yourself in the outdoors on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes, connected by a free-flowing canal, forming one of the largest man-made bodies of water in North America. Combined, the two lakes have more than 4,000 miles of shoreline and 3,000 miles of water all held within our backyard, and a short 20-minute drive from Murray. 

Take part in on-the-water activities like kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, and boating around Kentucky Lake. No need to bring your own necessities! Rentals for these activities are available at most lake resorts and marinas included below. 

Not only will you find fun-filled outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking and camping, but you will also discover family-fun adventures at Venture River Water Park, go-karts and ziplining at Kentucky Shores, miniature golf at Maggies Jungle Golf, and so much more. 

Kentucky Dam Marina
Website: www.kydammarina.com
Address: 466 Marina Dr., Gilbertsville, KY
Phone: (270) 362-8386
Bass boat, fishing boat, houseboat, pontoon boat,
ski boat, kayak, jet ski, paddleboards

Moors Resort & Marina
Website: www.moorsresort.com
Address: 570 Moors Rd., Gilbertsville, KY
Phone: (270) 362-8361
Tritoons, pontoons, fishing pontoons, fishing boats, jet skis

Big Bear Resort
Website: www.bigbearkentuckylake.com
Address: 30 Big Bear Rd., Benton, KY
Phone: (270) 354-6414
Jon boat, fishing boat, paddle boat, pontoon boat, ski boat

Pure Bliss Paddle Boards
Website: www.pureblisspaddleboards.com
Phone: (270) 227-9186
Will deliver

Fishing

Kentucky Lake is well-known as one of the best fishing destinations in the country, and often referred to as the “Crappie Capital” of the world. The lake houses many types of fish within its waters, such as largemouth and smallmouth bass, spots, bluegill, red ear, white bass, shell cracker, stripers and sauger. Fisherman travel for miles to fish from the wealth of the lake. In need of a boat? Rentals from fishing boats to yachts to sailboats are available for rent at most of the local marinas and resorts. Some are featured above. For more information on fishing at Kentucky Lake, find it here! 

Land Between the Lakes

One of Kentucky’s top tourist attractions, Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area manages 170,000 acres of forests, wetland, and open lands on a peninsula between Kentucky and Barkley Lakes, scaling alongside Western Kentucky and Tennessee. This recreation area playground makes a perfect location for camping, picnicking, hiking, fishing, horseback riding, boating, wildlife viewing, and water sports. Along with these activities, there are four main attractions at LBL, listed in detail below. 

Visit Land Between the Lakes
Website: www.landbetweenthelakes.us
Address: Welcome Center, 238 Visitor Center Dr. Golden Pond, KY
Phone: (800) 525-7077

The Elk & Bison Prairie
Elk and bison roam free in this 700-acre scenic prairie. A gently winding 3.5 mile paved loop takes you through this dynamic habitat restoration effort to see elk, bison, wildflowers, prairie grasses and other wildlife in their natural habitat. The Elk & Bison Prairie is open from dawn until dusk all year, and admittance is $5 per vehicle.

Homeplace 1850s Working Farm
Imagine traveling back in time and strolling through a working farm in Western Kentucky during the 1850s. What would it look like? How would people be dressed? What would they be doing? What kind of food would they be preparing?

Visitors can step back in time at the Homeplace, a living history museum representing a two-generation farm, with interpreters in period clothing going about their daily chores or traditional seasonal activities. Be sure to look out for the farms livestock including heritage breed mules, sheep, pigs, oxen, ducks and chickens. Feel free to join in their many workshops, old time music festivals, and special events throughout the year. 

Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory
The best indoor attraction at Land Between the Lakes is the Golden Pond Planetarium, which hosts various programs and shows each week. Visitors can view the night sky clearly, without cloud cover, dust or pollution, touching the furthest reaches of space in a climate-controlled planetarium theater year-round. The observatory allows guests to view the universe, including a safe viewing of the sun with special equipment. Every Saturday from Memorial Day through the end of the year, the Planetarium hosts popular laser light shows. 

Woodlands Nature Station
Truly immerse yourself in nature at the Woodlands Nature Station, serving as an environmental education attraction and one of the most popular attractions within Land Between the Lakes. Get up close and personal to rescued animals and native garden in the Backyard Exhibit Area. The friendly staff serve as your “go to” specialists, guiding visitors through the 8,500 acres of the Nature Watch Area with tours for children and adults. Easy trails take you through multiple habitats for great wildlife viewing, whether through group hikes or paddle tours. The Nature Station also rents canoes and kayaks from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend. 

Hunting

For hunters, there are more than 250 days of hunting seasons in the area, complemented by vast hunting grounds. High on the list for the region’s hunters are white-tailed deer. Kentucky is regularly in the top five states to produce record book deer. Nearby Clarks River National Wildlife Refuge offers open hunting in rich bottomland hardwoods. For more information on hunting in Western Kentucky as well as local hunting seasons, click here.