One thing I love about going to Murray State is that it is super close to Land Between the Lakes. I’ve been there a couple of times, and I love it more and more every time I go. I had heard that it was a man-made lake, so I did some research on it. I researched the history, and I found out some really interesting facts I think are worth sharing.
So according to the very reliable source that is Wikipedia, LBL has a history of war activity. It started with the Civil War in 1862 but neither side wanted to stay in the area because it wasn’t resourceful enough. Then, Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1933 that was meant to provide economic development in the area after the Great Depression. Who knew?
Image by WKMS via http://www.wkms.org/post/land-between-lakes-reopening-most-campgrounds-f…
This led to the completion of a dam known as the Kentucky Lake in the 1940’s. But it actually flooded nearby private-owned land, so it was forcefully taken by the government. It was definitely controversial because people had to leave their land. But there’s more. The government wanted to impound the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, which formed one of the largest man-made bodies of water in the world. Seems a little complicated to me, but whatever.
That happened in the 1960’s and the two impounded lakes were called Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. They named the whole area Land Between the Lakes and President John F. Kennedy named it a national recreation area. I think it’s pretty cool that a place that popularized with war was turned into one of the most beautiful places ever.
I’ve been hiking, but I heard camping and canoeing is a lot of fun. I cannot stress how beautiful the area is. It is definitely a must see. They offer way more than hiking, camping, and canoeing too! You can golf, bike, fish, dine, attend events and so much more. When it gets warmer, hiking at LBL is top of my bucket list.