HEAD FOR THE TRAILS!TRAIL RIDING at LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES
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The mid-south has a hidden gem called Land Between the Lakes (LBL). It's actually much more than a trail rider's paradise. It's a 170,000-acre national recreation center, with fishing, hunting, hiking, biking camping and more. You'll see deer, wild turkeys, hawks, and all manner of waterfowl. The area sits astride the western border between Kentucky and Tennessee, indicated by the blue upside-down U on the map to the right. The lakes in the "between" name are Kentucky Lake (on the western side) and Lake Barkley (on the eastern side).
Mr. Ross, ready for the trail.
The Ross's last trip to Land Between the Lakes was in September 2015. It wasn't just a vacation trip. They wanted to spend time there with their horses and each other before Patty had surgery and started treatment for breast cancer. After a breast biopsy, riding had been so uncomfortable that Patty felt this might be her last chance to ride for the foreseeable future.
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My equine-loving friend Patty Ross and her husband especially enjoy the Wranglers Campground in the LBL recreation area, featuring 100+ miles of diverse trails for riders and wagon drivers. Bordering Lake Barkley and beautiful Fords Bay to the east, and tucked away between Laura Furnace Creek and Lick Creek to the west, it’s the only place at Land Between the Lakes specifically set aside for horseback riders and wagons.
The Wranglers Campground is horse-friendly, providing stalls, hitching posts, hot showers and plenty of recreation. You can stay in cabins or camp out at the campground. Amenities like showers, utilities, feed, firewood, manure removal, stalls, and horse wash stations make your visit easier on you and your equines. The nearby trails wind through rolling hills, protected forests full of wildlife, and alongside the lakes. 
Visitors to Lane Between the Lakes often bring horses, mules and donkeys to ride and to pull wagons. When you're not riding trails, you can visit a variety of attractions: a planetarium and observatory, a working 1850's style farm called the Homeplace, a woodland nature station, and an elk and bison prairie. If you bring youngsters along, there will be plenty for them to do, and most of it educational for both kids and adults.
In April 2016, Patty (on the left in the photo to the left) finished cancer treatment (except for an oral chemo medication, to be taken daily for five years) and got a good report after a mammogram check. In May 2016 The Ross's and their horses will spend a long weekend at Wrangler's Campground. This time it will be a short vacation trip - and a celebration of her recovery.
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Want to saddle up and head out for an adventure, but not sure where to go?
We love to ride and experience new places. Sometimes close to home for a nice relaxing day...sometimes for vacation to explore some place new. But where to go? This is not always easy to answer. Some people are fortunate to have a network of horse friends who can recommend a place; other people may not have that fortune. It is not always easy packing up your equine and heading for the hills, not knowing if there are facilities to accommodate you and your equine to your liking. You do not always know the skill level of riding that is necessary when you get their either. Throwing your bedroll on the back of your saddle and grabbing your saddle bags, should be fun and enjoyable!
Wild Heart Mustangs™ wants YOU, the reader, to write in with places you have been and can recommend to other people who love to trail ride! CONTACT US and send photos of places you love to share with your horse, mule or donkey.
Wild Heart Mustangs™ wants YOU, the reader, to write in with places you have been and can recommend to other people who love to trail ride! CONTACT US and send photos of places you love to share with your horse, mule or donkey.
