Canal Loop
Canal Loop is a 11 miles trail in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and mountain biking.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The forest office carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 36.9714, -88.1985 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 36.9708, -88.1981 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 41 segments.
The trail
| Length | 11 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 5-8 percent, 10-12 percent, 12-20 percent, 20-30 percent, 0-5 percent, 8-10 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | CL |
| Forest | Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (unit 0860) |
| States | Kentucky |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record.
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Explore
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Canal Loop?
11 miles, the sum of the 41 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Canal Loop?
hiking and mountain biking. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Canal Loop start?
The line begins at 36.9714, -88.1985 and ends at 36.9708, -88.1981. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Canal Loop in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Canal Loop?
Canal (0.3 mi) and Eureka (2.5 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Canal Loop?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Canal Loop?
The typical grade is 5-8 percent on most segments and 10-12 percent or 12-20 percent or 20-30 percent or 0-5 percent or 8-10 percent on others. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Canal Loop accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Canal Loop?
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Forest Service unit 0860. The trail is in Kentucky.
Source
This page is built from 41 segments named CANAL LOOP in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0860. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.