LAND BETWEEN THE LAKES, Ky. — It's not just homes that need cleanup after recent floods. Floodwaters also ravaged Land Between the Lakes. As Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley rose, water took over popular recreation areas and washed away campsites.

Most of LBL has been shutdown for the last few weeks. People have been working non-stop to try to get things back to normal to keep a Memorial Day tradition alive. 

Karen Vanblair calls LBL home.  She has always loved camping, a love so strong she volunteers year-round to keep the Hillman Ferry Campground going.

"We always told our kids when they were little when they grew up we were not going to have an address and just live out of the trailer and they had to come find us," Vanblair said.

But with recent flooding, the rising water forced Karen to move her home.

"Move, all of this stuff? You're kidding me, do I get a moving company to help me move?"

Hillman Ferry Campground manager Tim Vetter said when the water was at its highest, nearly 160 sites were underwater.

He has been focused the last few days on restoring camp sites in time for one of their busiest weekends.

"Memorial Day through Labor Day is our peak season," Vetter said. "We're going to scramble to get what we can open for that weekend."

So they work to get rock replaced and debris moved, not only to keep the tradition of camping during Memorial Day weekend alive for many people, but also to allow people like Karen Vanblair to move back home.

"We were very happy to be back home, so to speak," she said.

Thankfully, it's a home that's now dry.

Land Between the Lakes plans to reopen the majority of its recreation sites Friday.

Officials there warn there are some areas still affected by the flooding. They're asking people to obey any barricades and always think safety first.  

If you would like to check if a particular recreation site is availible, visit LBL's alerts page for the latest closings.