Woodlands Trace — Land Between the Lakes (KY-453)

The Woodlands Trace National Scenic Byway (designated 2009) runs 43 miles along KY-453 through the forested spine of Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, a narrow inland peninsula flanked by Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in far western Kentucky and Tennessee. The road holds gentle, flowing curves through hardwood forest with virtually no development — a rare stretch of uninterrupted quiet on public land. Along the way: a 700-acre Elk and Bison Prairie with a 3.5-mile self-drive loop, the Homeplace 1850s Living History Farm, the Golden Pond Planetarium, and wildlife watch areas for deer, wild turkey, and waterfowl. The northern terminus is near Grand Rivers, KY (US-68/KY-80 junction); the southern end exits near Dover, Tennessee.