01/16/2026
Scott Raymond, Public Affairs Officer, Forest Service, Land Between the Lakes, presented an overview of the national recreation area to the Hazel Woman's Club at their January meeting held at the Hazel Community Center January 15, 2026.
Raymond shared fast facts about the 170,000 acres that straddle Kentucky and Tennessee between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. There are 1.9 million visits annually. Visitors enjoy over 500 miles of hiking, horse, mountain bike and OHV trails. There are 355 animal species amid the 31 million trees in LBL. Many locals as well as tourists use the boat ramps and scenic roads to explore the 300 miles of natural shoreline. Birding is a popular way to explore LBL, and Raymond emphasized winter is peak season for bald eagle viewing.
LBL has developed 23 active partnerships with organizations including Murray State University, the National Deer Association, the Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society to conduct a variety of conservation and nature programs. Raymond says volunteer organizations, such as Friends of LBL, support activities including recycling and environmental clean up efforts. All these concerted efforts help to make LBL an idyllic setting for outdoor recreation.
Environment and Conservation is one of the annual program topics for the Hazel Woman's Club. As a member of the Kentucky Federation of Women's Clubs, the group works to gain an appreciation of our natural environment. Raymond's presentation was an enlightening reminder of the natural jewel, the national recreation area of Land Between the Lakes, which is almost in our backyard.
