Time to get outside

Fun outdoor activities for fall in Kentucky

As August comes to a close and September begins to brown the leaves, the great outdoors comes calling. Fall in Kentucky is the perfect time to get outside.

Luckily, one of the greatest outdoor recreation areas in the county is just a short drive from Christian County. Land Between the Lakes, and aptly named space of land between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, is the perfect spot for Hoptown families to get their outdoor fix.

LBL has over 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline and 200 miles of paved roads. Canoeing and kayaking are a great way to get on the water. Lakeside Rentals in Kuttawa will rent kayaks and drop them off for you to explore the beautiful Poplar Creek on Lake Barkley.

If swimming is your favorite pastime, Hillman Ferry and Piney Campgrounds have designated swimming areas. But swim at your own risk, there are no lifeguards in the area.

Be sure to wear water shoes and life jackets when swimming and kayaking. You never know what is hidden under water.

Camping is really where the national recreation area shines. There are 17 official campgrounds spanning the 45-mile Trace Road that runs through LBL.

For those campers who really like to “rough it,” there are 170,000 acres of forest and open lands. All you need are your camping supplies and a Basic/ Dispersed Camping Permit.

Basic/Dispersed Camping Permits cost $10 for three days, or $50 for a full year if you want to take multiple trips.

You can also take a fun day trip to the Elk and Bison Prairie at LBL. The prairie is open from dusk until dawn seven days a week.

The 700-acre enclosure allows Elk and bison to roam free. For $5, you can pile your family in the car and drive the 3.5-mile paved loop road and see the ungulates roam around in their natural habitat.

You can look, but don’t touch. These are wild animals.

If sight-seeing wild animals sounds fun, a simple drive down the trace could also lead to some unusual sightings. Fallow deer live in the wild at LBL. Fallow deer are smaller than native white-tailed deer, but their bodies are covered in white spots and the bucks’ antlers grow in a single, large spike.

You can also search the stars at the Golden Pond Planetarium and Observatory. The planetarium houses a Konica Minolta Mediaglobe II digital projection system that displays the stars on a 40-foot dome theater. Admission is $6 for anyone 13 years old and up, $3.50 for ages 5-12 and free for children under four years old.

But maybe the best part of LBL is the silence. Since the entire national recreation area is undeveloped, there are no houses or cars to break up the sound of the great outdoors.

For a relaxing afternoon, bring a book, a hammock and find two trees to lounge between. Get reconnected with nature.