Our Communities

Our Communities

The Kentucky Lakes Area is located in western Kentucky and northwest Tennessee. The communities surrounding Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley and Land Between The Lakes are rural in nature with a laid-back feel and a touch of modern, bigger-city conveniences.

You'll find charming small towns and villages like Grand Rivers, Kentucky up to larger towns such as Murray, Kentucky, which is home to nearly 20,000 residents.

Kentucky Lake - Kentucky

Grand Rivers Area

Including Lake City

Located on Kentucky Lake & Lake Barkley, this small town is bustling with some of the best lodging and dining in the Kentucky Lakes Area.

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Gilbertsville/Calvert City Area

Including Kentucky Dam, Sledd Creek, Bear Creek

From the northwestern portion of Kentucky Lake, the Gilbertsville/Calvert City Area has a large concentration of accommodations and recreational activities.

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Benton Area

Including Jonathan Creek, Aurora, King Creek, Malcolm Creek

Located just south of the Gilbertsville Area, numerous resorts and campgrounds are available as well as excellent fishing opportunities.

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Murray Area

Including Hazel, New Concord, Blood Rivers, Cypress Creek KY

Home of the largest community in the Kentucky Lakes Area with many dining and shopping options as well as full-service hotels and a few waterfront resorts.

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Kentucky Lake - Tennessee

Paris Landing Area

Including Paris, Springville, Buchanan, Cypress Creek TN

Paris is home to the area's most beautiful downtown. Just 15 minutes up the road is Paris Landing where there are several places to stay and marinas.

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Camden Area

Including Big Sandy, Eva, Birdsong Bay

Camden is easily accessible from Memphis or Nashville via Interstate 40 and is home to a state park, accommodations and a couple of unique attractions.

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Lake Barkley

Eddyville Area

Including Kuttawa, Eddy Creek

Home of a large water park, beautiful views of Lake Barkley and many resorts and marinas.

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Cadiz Area

Including Canton, Little River

In the Cadiz Area you'll find the largest arm of Barkley Lake with Little River. Many resorts and other accommodations can be found in and around Cadiz.

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Dover Area

Including Leatherwood Bay (Ky Lake), Fort Donelson, Bumpus Mills

A place for history lovers, Dover offers the Fort Donelson National Battlefield and is the southern entrance for Land Between The Lakes.

Kentucky Lakes Area Profile

The Kentucky Lakes Area is made up of Kentucky Lake from Kentucky Dam to Interstate 40, all of Lake Barkley, and Land Between The Lakes. Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are two twin artificial lakes that are very similar in nature. 

Kentucky Lake was born in the early 1940s when Kentucky Dam was built at Gilbertsville, Kentucky along the Tennessee River.  Lake Barkley was created in the early 1960s when Barkley Dam was built near Grand Rivers, Kentucky, just two miles east of Kentucky Dam.  A canal was constructed in the 1960s which connected the two lakes.

After the creation of both lakes and the canal, a large peninsula sprung up eight miles in width and nearly 40 miles in length.  This area, formerly known as "Between The Rivers", was acquired by TVA throughout the late 1960s.  Land Between The Lakes was born in 1969 when Rushing Creek Campground was opened.

The heart of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley is located in a rural but very accessible area approximately 100 miles northwest of Nashville, Tenn., or about 200 miles south of St. Louis, Mo. 

Folks from Nashville can reach the southern part of Kentucky Lake via I-40 in just over an hour.

Kentucky Lake is 184 miles long, while Barkley is a little smaller in width and length. The elevation of the lakes range from 354' to 359', and the general elevation of the area ranges from 320' to 860'.

Southern hospitality reigns throughout our region. You'll find many small towns dotted across the ten-county region of the Kentucky Lakes Area with only two towns, Murray, Ky. and Paris, Tenn., with populations exceeding 10,000.

The weather is seasonal - warm, humid summers with typical winters featuring less than 10" of snow. Very cold temperatures or heat extremes are unusual in our area. You can read more about Our Climate if you'd like.

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