Energy Lake Campground in Kentucky on map - U.S.

The rainy-day camping shelters here are just one reason to stay at Energy Lake.

Energy Lake is an ideal example of enhancing natural resources to create a better recreation area. Start with a rolling shoreline on a scenic body of water. Integrate a just-the-right-size campground into the landscape (read: 48 campsites spread over four loops). Add a few amenities, but keep its rustic feel (read: camping shelters). And locate it where there are activities right at the campground with others nearby (read: the Nature Station). What you end up with is a complete tent-camping package (read: come here!).

Cross the dam that separates Energy Lake from Lake Barkley, and enter the campground. Pass the entrance station and climb a hill to Area A. The 12 sites, leveled with landscaping timbers, are attractively set on a high peninsula. Seven sites overlook the lake, which is 60 feet below, offering a watery panorama. The camping pads are large and well spaced but don't have too much of an understory between them. A fully equipped bathhouse lies in the center of Area A (the other three loops have bathhouses as well). This area also has two three-sided camping shelters. Tent campers use these unusual shelters, each with a picnic table inside, during rainy times to cook or just hang out. And that can help a lot when the weather is bad. However, you can't just set your gear up and sleep in them, so keep your bedding in your tent.

There will be a mix of RVs and tents at Energy Lake, but Area B, with only two electric sites, is the sole domain of the tenters. This loop is the only one away from the lake and heads higher up the hill. The sites are spacious here, beneath hickory-and-oak woodland. Two

camping shelters and two water spigots make life a little more comfortable.

Pass the day-use area, which is down a steep road leading to a grassy flat. Here you'll find a swim beach and play area, with a court, a small ball field, and a horseshoe pit. Come to Area C, one of the most unusual loops I have ever seen. Drop down a hill, passing some large sites, and come to a lakeside site. The loop road then makes a figure-eight, with three good lakeside sites. Turn away from the lake, where four more good campsites are located. Area D is a little ways down the main campground road. The road drops so steeply that you reckon an elevator would better serve the tiered campsites beside the road. Make no mistake, though: These sites are level and attractive; it's just the road that's scary. A couple of campsite shelters are here, too, along with a few more lake-view sites. The rest of the sites are away from the water.

All campsites can be reserved up to six months in advance. So if you want to start relaxing early, phone in that reservation and then cruise on to Energy Lake. I recommend reservations on summer weekends. Bring your boat to enjoy the 370-acre impoundment or nearby Lake Barkley, which is just across the dam road over which you drove. If you don't have a boat, you can rent a canoe here. Many folks paddle for fun or cast their rods for crappie, catfish, or bass. Two loop trails totaling more than 6 miles can be accessed right from your campsite. They wind and roll all over this hilly country.

What makes a trip to Energy Lake really special is the nearby Nature Station, which offers environmental education in an attractive setting. The Learning Center has exhibits on the wildlife of Land Between the Lakes (LBL), while the Backyard has plants native to this region, along with stray or injured animals that have been taken in by the Nature Station. Aquatic creatures inhabit the turtle and fish ponds. You can see a bald eagle, owls, bobcats, coyotes, deer, and more. Kids can really have a good time here, and adults might learn a thing or two themselves. Outside the Nature Station is another set of trails. The Center Furnace Trail checks out the remnants of a great iron furnace and the iron industry of this area. The Hematite and Honker trails circle small lakes, offering possibilities of seeing waterfowl. You can also rent canoes to paddle Honker Lake. Grab your friends and family to enjoy the natural side of the LBL at Energy Lake.

From Exit 31 on I-24 near Lake City, head south on KY453 7 miles to intersect The Trace. Keep south on The Trace 9 miles to Silver Trail Road. Turn left on Silver Trail Road and follow it 3 miles to paved Forest Service Road 134, near the Nature Station. Turn right on FS 134 and follow it 4.7 miles to reach Energy Lake.

GPS COORDINATES  N36° 51.280'  W88° 1.118'

ADDRESS: 5501 Energy Lake Dr., Golden Pond, KY 42211

OPERATED BY: U.S. Forest Service

CONTACT: 270-924-2270, landbetweenthelakes . us; reservations: 800-525-7077, usedirect . com/ CampLBL

OPEN: March-November

SITES: 35 electric, 13 nonelectric

SITE AMENITIES: Picnic table, fire ring

ASSIGNMENT: First come, first served and by reservation

REGISTRATION: At campground entrance station

FACILITIES: Hot showers, flush toilets, phone, ice machine

PARKING: At campsites only

FEE: $12 nonelectric, $22 electric

ELEVATION: 360 feet

¦ Pets: On 6-foot leash only

¦ Fires: In fire rings only

¦ Alcohol: At campsites only

¦ Vehicles: None

¦ Other: 21-day stay limit