Land Between The Lakes Outdoor Handbook, by Johnny Molloy, is the only comprehensive guide to the magnificent Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. The handbook is divided into two sections: water activities and land activities. The water section guides visitors to important fishing spots and lakes, as well as outlines one of the longest paddle trails in the Midwest: the 85-mile-long Land Between The Lakes Paddle Route. Descriptions of all lake accesses and swimming beaches are also included. The land section offers detailed descriptions of more than 300 miles of hiking trails (including the 60-mile-long North-South Trail). Finally, the guide offers an extensive reference section, detailing alternate lodging possibilities, outfitters, and conveniences located in nearby towns. This new edition is completely updated and features new trails and new photos. Johnny Molloy is a writer and adventurer based in Tennessee. His outdoor passion ignited on a backpacking trip in Great Smoky Mountains National Park while attending the University of Tennessee. That first foray unleashed a love of the outdoors that led Johnny to spend over 3,500 nights backpacking, canoe camping, and tent camping throughout the country over the past three decades. Friends enjoyed his outdoor adventure stories; one even suggested he write a book. He pursued his friend’s idea and soon parlayed his love of the outdoors into an occupation. The results of his efforts are more than 50 books and guides. His writings include hiking guidebooks, camping guidebooks, paddling guidebooks, comprehensive guidebooks about a specific area, and true outdoor adventure books all over the eastern United States. Though primarily involved with book publications, Molloy writes for various magazines, for websites, and is an outdoors columnist and feature writer for his local paper, the Johnson City Press. He continues writing and traveling extensively throughout the United States, endeavoring in a variety of outdoor pursuits. For the latest on Johnny, please visit his website. Central Hardwoods Scenic Trail THE CENTRAL HARDWOODS SCENIC TRAIL is a fantastic addition to an already well-developed trail system at LBL. This trail makes an east–west track across the entirety of the LBL peninsula, running roughly parallel to US 68/KY 80. The trail is open to hikers and bicyclers but is primarily used by the two-wheeled set. The grades are gentle, making it doable by hikers and bicyclers of all capabilities. Streams are bridged or crossed via culvert. The route is more similar to a rail-trail than it is a mountain biking trail, though elevation changes are common, and the path is steeper than a rail-trail. In fact, elevation changes stretch a little over 200 feet between the lakes and the ridgetops around Golden Pond. The trail builders did a spectacular job grading the path to make the elevation changes doable by your average bicycler. Covering 11 miles one way from the Fenton trailhead near Kentucky Lake to the Cumberland trailhead near Lake Barkley, the Central Hardwoods Scenic Trail winds through woods, along ridges, and across drainages. The trail surface is mostly compact gravel, save for the east end, which is paved. Multiple trailheads make doing varied stretches of the path a breeze. The path is often started at the Golden Pond Visitor Center, though its official beginning is Fenton and runs east to Lake Barkley. Camping is not allowed on the trail. A trail map is available at Golden Pond Visitor Center and online. CENTRAL HARDWOODS SCENIC TRAIL: Fenton to Cumberland TYPE: Bicycle and foot - DIFFICULTY: Moderate - LENGTH: 11 miles - USE: High - CONDITION: Good - HIGHLIGHTS: Lake views, wildflowers, fall colors - CONNECTIONS: North–South Trail THE CENTRAL HARDWOODS TRAIL leaves east from a road just beyond the Fenton Picnic Shelter. A kiosk displays a trail map and information. Join the compacted gravel track as it rises from fields to pass an interpretive sign describing a former fishing camp Fisherman’s One Stop―that once occupied the locale a century back. Rise into a forest of oak, cedar, hickory, maple, and sassafras. The path quickly joins and leaves a roadbed. Though heading uphill, the grade is gentle as you rise, curving in and out of coves, passing more former settler roads. By 1.0 mile, you have gained 200 feet. From here, the trail more or less levels off, gently undulating into hollows and rising slightly onto hills. Almost the whole trail is shaded in this segment. Pass occasional repose benches. Watch for sharp turns and occasional gravel washouts. At 1.6 miles, bridge a pair of streambeds, then join a doubletrack, an old road. Pass the Lee Cemetery on your left. Skirt forest and field, then come to the English Hill Trailhead at 2.0 miles. This signed trailhead is accessed by a short spur off US 68/KY 80. The next segment of the Central Hardwoods Scenic Trail goes from English Hill to Golden