Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area — Attraction in Benton

Beautiful area. Family friendly -generally- and- can't lie 😏- in HS, we also had a grande time in a few spots there, too- back in the end of the 80s & early 90s. Was one of my Mom's favorite places to go, explore, camp & fish, go swim at one of the many spots, or just take in the beauty. My Pappy loved to fish here, too. The bathrooms were always hit & miss. Depended on the spot and the season! 😆 If people brought their dogs, (many did) most were good about keeping them close and not letting them run wild. Some didn't pick up the poo like they ought to have- which- honestly, at the beach- and at the camp sites when there are so many little kids- is a real bummer. But they did post signs and people DID seem to do a better job about it the last time I went. So yah! It was more troubling when there were abandoned dogs and puppies- which occurred more often than it should have. Just sad. Picnic areas were good. They were nicely spaced. The grills were pretty solid. They had several durable, concrete tables in various places. We brought folding chairs because they were more comfortable- and you could bring them to the water's edge. Some areas of the LBL are free, some are not. There is a range and you might look into specifics. As a 'casual' outdoors person, not an avid outdoors person- like my Mom- I didn't study the wide array available. I did, however, know that there was one. 😆 My Mom was the sort who at different times owned a 24ft pontoon, a camper, a john boat, and a little cabin up there- depending on her age. She water ski'd, swam, fished, stayed for a few months, 'got away', and simply enjoyed the break from teaching. I enjoyed spending time there with her, a good campfire, a couple nights away, a good swim on a hot day, but am a real sucker for AC & running water 😆 It is an awesome place and one that is solid & strong in my memory. It's scenic and peaceful. There is so much beauty everywhere you look, too. If a person likes nature,...

Very large park 170,000 acres. Miles of hiking and biking trails. Numerous camp sites (RV and tent), some with facilities and many isolated spots. Several boat ramps. I have my boat docked at the northern part of Kentucky Lake have spent most weekends for the past three years on this lake exploring the different bays and coves in LBL. Kayaking, paddle boarding, biking, and swimming spots all over this area. Numerous off-road trails to explore. There is an off-road area - easy to hard trails, horse riding trails, elk and bison drive thru viewing area ($5 per car), picnic areas, hiking trails, mountain bike trails and a planetarium. Surrounded by 2 large lakes with a couple lakes in between. Big lakes are connected by a canal. By boat you can travel from here to Clarksville, Nashville, Knoxville, Chicago, the Gulf. Major waterway in the US. Very large stretch of land no light pollution makes for good star gazing and some quiet nights on the water. The town of Grand Rivers is located on the North Side of the recreation area lots of shops, lodging, restaurants and two...

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!!! We arrived to try and spend a nice Memorial Day weekend at the lake. We paid for a primitive tent campsite, drove up to it, went swimming, came back - and another family was there, setting up their stuff! The staff had double booked it. This was very upsetting to us, because we had already paid for it. And we went back to the staff and asked for our money back, and they refused. They actually laughed at us. I asked for a supervisor, and he came over and treated me like I had done something wrong. I even told him I was a Veteran with a National Parks Access pass... he didn't care. I said all we wanted was our money back for a campsite we paid for that we didn't get. They refused. They kept our money, and smirked about it the whole time. SO, THE SHORT VERSION IS: THEY STOLE OUR MONEY, DIDN'T GIVE US WHAT WE PAID FOR, LAUGHED AT US, MADE FUN OF US, AND THEN TREATED US LIKE CRIMINALS. AND ALL ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, KNOWING WE WERE A MILITARY FAMILY. Don't go to this place unless you want to be treated like a dog. They hate veterans and...