Nature Station at Land Between The Lakes

The U.S. Forest Service runs a Nature Station at Land Between the Lakes.  When we were camping at Hillman Ferry, the Nature Station was one of the attractions we visited.

The Nature Station consists of indoor exhibits (similar to what you might see in a museum of natural history) and an outdoor area with plants and animals indigienous to the area.  When we were there in mid-to-late May, many of the flowers were in full bloom and the backyard area was beautiful and tranquil.

We arrived shortly after the center opened at 10am and were able to see the bobcat being fed as well as the groundhog.  The groundhog was found by a woman when it was a baby and she thought she would try to keep it as a pet - not a great idea.  Same with the bobcat.


 As a result, both have no natural fear of humans but do associate humans with food, which can be dangerous.

The groundhog's enclosure goes 3-ft underground so that the groundhog can dig tunnels, as is its nature without popping up somewhere outside of its pen, like the bobcat enclosure.

We found this attraction to be very informative and relaxing.  We enjoyed it immensely.