Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area: A Special Report

From the 50 State Visitor Guide (Kentucky):

K.R.S. 2019  §§17.500 through 17.580.  502 K.A.R. 31:020

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

K.R.S. §17.510 states 5 working days for initial registration and updates.  Registrants employed in the state must register if present for a period of 14 consecutive days or 30 days in a calendar year.  Per Kentucky SOR office, visitors are not required to register unless present for 14 consecutive days, or 30 days in a calendar year.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: 1,000 ft. of schools, day care facilities, and publicly owned playgrounds; must move out of residence within 90 days if a new facility opens.  §17.545.  The state notes that the Kentucky Supreme Court forbid retroactive application of this law to those who committed offenses prior to July 12, 2006 and states “The Kentucky State Police do not evaluate or approve particular locations for compliance with sex offender residence restrictions. If you have any questions concerning whether you are subject to the residence restrictions in KRS 17.545 or whether you may legally reside at a particular location you may wish to consult an attorney.”

Presence restriction:  May not be present on grounds of school or daycare or publicly owned pool or splash pad without advanced written permission.  K.R.S. §17.545.  Registrants are prohibited from using certain social media and chat rooms, and are forbidden to photograph or videotape minors without parental consent.  §17.546. Updated Aug. 2024

Per Kentucky SOR office, a procedure is available for removal from registry after departure.

Duration & updates:

20 years or lifetime, depending on offense. §17.520. Updates annual or every 90 days, depending on offense. §17.520. No tiers.

From the 50 State Visitor Guide (Tennessee):

Tenn. Code Ann. 2019  §§40-39-201 through 40-39-306

AWA Compliant

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

48 hours for initial reg. and updates, but “within 48 hours” is defined to not include weekends and holidays.  §40-39-202(32).  

Visitors must register “within 48 hours” of entering state. Per Tenn. SOR office, the 48 hour clock starts upon crossing the state line but will be interrupted from midnight to midnight on weekends and holidays. Also, per SOR office there is no limit on number of repeat visits per week, month or year.

“Primary residence” established after 5 consecutive days. “Secondary residence” means any residence for 14 or more aggregate days in a calendar year, or 4 or more days in a month.  “Residence” means physical presence. §§40-39-202, 40-39-203.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence & Employment Restriction:  1,000 ft. from school, day care center, child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or athletic field, or the offender’s victim or victim’s family. §40-39-211.  In 2019 TN applied new restrictions to residence with any minor; these restrictions are under a Temporary 

Restraining Order pending trial (see NARSOL Digest 8/19 p. 5).

Residence restriction:  Violent offenders and those with convictions against minors may not reside in on-campus housing of any institution of higher education. 

Presence restriction: 1,000 ft. from school, day care center, child care facility, public park, playground, recreation center or athletic field, with exceptions. §40-39-211.  Tennessee libraries have authority to restrict access by Registrants.  §40-39-216.

Per Tenn. SOR office, these restrictions DO apply to visitors during the 48 hour grace period.

Duration & updates:

Life.  Petition to remove – 10 years from end of probation.  §163A.125.

Violent offenders update quarterly; all others annually.  §40-39-207

Most recent visit: May 2026

Land Between the Lakes is not a national park but rather one of the crown jewels of America’s National Recreation Area system, which is in turn administered by the National Parks Service – which means, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park which is also partly in Tennessee, that it is “out of the jurisdiction” of state and local law enforcement.  The harsh residency and presence restrictions of the states where it’s located are not enforced here.

My May 2026 campground

In May 2026 I camped at one of the little campgrounds near a boat ramp on the Tennessee side of Land Between the Lakes.  This was Night #2 of my two-nights-and-one-day-but-less-than-48-hours trip the long way through Tennessee just to show how it can be done.  It was an off-season weeknight so I had the place almost to myself, so I took a lakeside site with a beautiful view.

Land Between the Lakes is a creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority, situated between two long skinny lakes (Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley) created as a result of the construction of Kentucky Dam at the confluence of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers.  The two rivers, and therefore the two lakes, run parallel to each other for over 50 miles and the TVA acquired this land as part of its water quality control plan.  

Now it’s a National Recreation Area with lots to offer in a part of our country where high quality outdoor recreation opportunities can be hard for registered people to find.  According to Kentucky state statutes, no registered person may reside within 1,000 ft. of schools, day care facilities, and publicly owned playgrounds.  K.R.S. §17.545.  Per the state SOR office, yes these restrictions will apply to you during the 14 consecutive days or 30 days per calendar year you are allowed to be in-state before you have to register.  

So what this means is, yes you can go to Kentucky state and local parks but you can’t camp anywhere within 1000 feet of a playground.  And guess what?  Most Kentucky state parks have playgrounds conveniently located in each of their campgrounds.  Oh well!  But Land Between the Lakes is out of their jurisdiction. Yey!

Tennessee is even worse, as I have pointed out in other blog posts.  Tennessee has statewide 1000 ft. residency AND presence restrictions preventing you from getting anywhere close to having any healthy outdoor recreation at their state and local parks.  Who knows what additional punishments local governments have piled on.  Oh well!  But Land Between the Lakes is out of their jurisdiction. Yey!

Notice that Law Enforcement is part of Parks Administration

Now let’s be clear – there is a reason why Land Between the Lakes is not a national park.  It doesn’t have natural wonders or places of historical or cultural significance.  It just happens to be a (large) spit of land between these two hydroelectric reservoirs.  

BUT!  If you want to go boating, swimming, water skiing, ATVing, dirt biking, hiking, backpacking (they have a 57.8 mile long “North-South Trail”), visit the planetarium at the visitors center, or for that matter go admire the dam which is an amazing piece of engineering, you can do so at Land Between the Lakes without fear of violating any state or local rule, and without worrying that some dickhead sheriff’s deputy is going to hassle you.  And that is a very good thing.

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.  It’s a place every registered traveler should know about, and visit often.

I think this is Barkley Dam

 North Carolina

From the 50 State Visitor Guide :

N.C. Gen. Stat. 2019 Art. 27A, §§14-208.5 through 14-208.45

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 business days for initial reg. and updates.  §§14-207, 14-208.9. New residents: w/in 3 business days of establishing residence, or whenever present in the state for 15 days, whichever comes first (“residence” not defined). §14-208.7.  “Employed” means more than 14 days or more than 30 days in a calendar year.  §14-208.6

Per Rolfe Survey, visiting registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: 1,000 ft. of school or child care center, with exceptions.  §14-208.16.  NC law includes a very expansive definition of “child care” that includes e.g. Boys & Girls Clubs. §110-86. However, “school” does not include “institutions of higher education” or “home schools” as defined in §115C-563.

Presence restrictions:  For offenses involving a victim under 16 and other offenses, may not be present on “place intended primarily for the use, care, or supervision of minors,” or w/in 300 ft. of such a place if it is located on another property such as a mall. Also may not be present “where minors gather regularly for scheduled educational, recreational, or social programs.”  Various exceptions for parents on school business, or in need of medical care. §14-208.18.  

Duration & updates:

30 years to life. Petition to remove – 10 years. Tier III updates every 90 days; all others every six months. §§14-208.7A, 14-209A

North Carolina Arboretum, Ashville

Most recent visit: May 2026

North North Carolina has a lot of onerous residence and presence restrictions which you should be concerned about.  However, according to state law (§14-208.16) these restrictions apply to “an offender who is required to register,” and therefore in theory not to a visitor who is not required to register because you’re in the state for less than 15 days.  Unfortunately, when I put this question to the nice lady at the NC SOR office in 2022 she said that actually they do apply.  What do you expect, right?

Therefore I would certainly suggest staying away from schools, child care centers and “places where minors gather regularly.”  You can, however, attend your college reunion because “institutions of higher education” are excluded by definition from the term “school.”

North Carolina has no law against registered people visiting parks, whether local, state or national parks.  You can visit Smokey Mountains National Park, national forests or any state park in North Carolina without fear.  You can also visit historic sites, museums and monuments of which the state has many. Just stay away from the playgrounds!

In May 2026 I entered North Carolina from Myrtle Beach, SC on US 17. My primary destination this time was the Outer Banks, but on Partial Day 1 I only wanted to get as far as a very nice campground in Croatan National Forest. 

In the morning of Day 2 I drove the very long way to the Outer Banks by taking Scenic Route US 264 through marshy coastal towns along Pamlico Sound.  I had not ridden this road in 55 years. 

Outer Banks

In my teen years growing up in New Jersey, my parents took us to the Outer Banks for our annual summer vacation.  US 264 is still the same and as scenic as ever, but Outer Banks towns like Nags Head and Kill Devil Hills have completely re-invented themselves since 1970.  I remember one two lane road with mostly bait shops along it, and sandy old beach bungalows like the one my family stayed at every year.

Bodie Lighthouse

There have been enough devastating hurricanes in the past 55 years to wipe away those old beach towns, providing ample opportunities to re-build themselves to withstand 150 mph sustained winds. Big, expensive and up on stilts is the Outer Banks new calling card.  US 158 is now a four lane by-pass highway with commercial pods in accordance with modern suburban planning principles (get ready for some round-abouts!).

Wright Memorial, showing Kill Devil Hill in background and landing spots in foreground

That afternoon I first visited Cape Hatteras National Seashore, especially Bodie Island Lighthouse. Next stop Wright Brothers National Memorial, followed by Fort Raleigh National Historic Site.  Fortunately it was too early in the season to see the Lost Colony play – as a kid I was forced to watch it a couple of times and didn’t like it.

Kitty Hawk Kites

Only two businesses that I know of survive from the old days – Kitty Hawk Kites, where I tried unsuccessfully to learn hang-gliding as a teenager, and:

Regional liquor store chain you should know about:

Brew Thru – Yes that’s right, it looks like a big car wash but you drive thru displays of alcoholic beverages.  When I was a kid there was only one, but now it’s a chain.

Regional restaurant chain you should be warned about:

Smithfields - It's a BBQ chain, it's in NC, so you would think the BBQ would be good, right? No.

That evening of Day 2 I retreated inland and found a cheap motel in Williamston.  My only objective for Day 3 was to drive across NC so I’d be set up for my visit to Pisgah National Forest.

Pisgah National Forest

Pisgah is the National Forest covering most of North Carolina’s Smoky Mountains region.  It is in two big pieces, northeast of and southwest of Asheville.  Like Smoky Mtns. National Park (see my separate “special report” blog post) it’s federal land so you can see its many natural wonders and points of interest without worry. 

Waterfalls in Pisgah Nat. Forest

While traveling with family in the past (see “previous visit” below) they have usually focused on Asheville, Biltmore, and areas southwest.  On Day 3 of this visit I decided to spend a day in the other part of Pisgah to the northeast, with emphasis on seeing as many waterfalls as I could get to easily.  The entire Pisgah region is known for its waterfalls.

This region is also dominated by Grandfather Mountain – which is a mountain, a state park (just off the Blue Ridge Parkway), and also a pretty good private tourist attraction.

"Mile High" suspension bridge and the view from it at Grandfather Mtn. attraction

At the end of Day 3 my goal was to take I-40 just over the TN state line and find a motel there, thus starting the clock on my two-nights-and-one-day-but-less-than-48-hours drive through Tennessee (see my “Tennessee/Nashville/Memphis” blog).

Blue Ridge Parkway

Folk Art Center, Blue Ridge Parkway near Ashville

The Blue Ridge Parkway is perhaps America’s most famous Depression-era road building project. It.  At the north end it connects with Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park.  It is under the jurisdiction of the US Parks Service.  Therefore you can safely travel on this road, which twists though the majestic Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains in VA and NC, with reduced fear of local sheriffs departments. You can safely stay at any of the campgrounds and visit attractions along its length, as I had on previous occasions.

Registered travelers should always take advantage of opportunities like the Blue Ridge Parkway to see great sights and visit great places without fear of local police harassment.

Previous visit – March 2024

In March 2024 I joined my family for their Spring Break vacation in the mountains of North Carolina.  They came from Florida.  I came from Iowa, but afterwards traveled with my family to Florida, all of which I properly reported at my local Iowa sheriff’s department as a 6 1/2 week trip with multiple destinations in multiple states.  I even told them that in the middle of this trip I’d be inserting another trip with my ex from Florida to New Jersey and back before returning to Iowa. 

The view from Chimney Rock State Park, NC

Iowa had no problem entering this level of travel complexity into my registry sheet – which just goes to show that you shouldn’t worry about complex travel plans.  I like to think that having my sheet with the answers to any suspicious police officer’s questions sitting right in my glove compartment protects me during my travels.

During my NC family vacation we visited the usual attractions – museums, quaint small towns, Chimney Rock State Park, drove the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped at the Folk Art Center, etc.  We arrived on Monday and left on Friday, so even including partial days that makes five days, well within the 14 days allowed by North Carolina without triggering an obligation to register.

Bruce Hossfield, Atwo Zee Registered Traveler

  South Carolina

From the 50 State Visitor Guide:

S.C. Code Ann. 2019  §§23-3-400 through 23-3-550.  AWA Compliant.

Registration Triggers and Deadlines:

3 business days for initial registration and updates for “residence.”  Residence / temporary residence means one’s home, or any place where one “habitually resides” or resides for a period of 10 consecutive days or more.  Residing in the state for 30 or more days during a 12-month period also establishes a residence. §§23-3-430, 23-3-450, 23-3-460.

Visitors: “Summary” FAQ website states that registration is required if you are planning to visit for 10 days or more.

Per Rolfe Survey, Visiting Registrants once placed on state’s registry ARE NOT REMOVED.

Residency/Presence and Other Restrictions:

Residence restriction: For certain offenses against minors, may not reside w/in 1,000 ft. of school, day care center, “children’s recreational facility,” park, or playground.  §23-3-535.

State pre-emption: A local government may not enact an ordinance that: (1) contains penalties that exceed or are less lenient than the penalties contained in state statutes; or (2) expands or contracts the boundaries of areas in which a sex offender may or may not reside. §23-3-535(E).

Duration & updates:

Lifetime.  Tier III and SVP update every 90 days; all others every 6 mo.  §23-3-460.

Most recent visit: May 2026

Yes, while visiting South Carolina you will be bound by their registry restrictions.  However, for a visitor these restrictions are “relatively” few. In fact, if your offense was not against a minor you’re off the hook, and only apply for “certain hands-on offenses” although I’m not ready to offer a definition of “hands-on” here.

Also, SC is one of nine states that have laws pre-empting local governments from adopting any law more restrictive than the state law.  So believe it or not – in South Carolina yet – you can travel without fear of getting snagged by a local restriction.

Congaree National Forest

Boardwalk trail at Congaree Nat. Pk.

Even so, in my travels to date through South Carolina I have never tried to test their system. When camping I still prefer national parks and forests.  My main objective for this trip was Charleston, but on this trip I figured an afternoon would be enough and that left time to go visit Congaree National Forest, which is SE of the state capitol Columbia. 

Congaree is a vast southern swamp, so remote back in the day that slave holders were unwilling to enter it in search of for escaped slaves.  The freedom seekers built their own town and sustained themselves there for many years.  Nowadays there are trails and boardwalks and yes – campgrounds.

Charleston

I have actually been to Charleston a fair number of times, usually with family, and usually going to the same places – the Battery, City Market, Rainbow Row, and eating at a downtown restaurant.  On this trip I was, as usual, running behind after my side trip to Congaree National Forest, but I wasn’t concerned because I had already decided to get on an on-off tour trolley and stop wherever I wanted.

Rainbow Row

Unfortunately it turns out that Charleston has no on-off trolley! This really surprised me.  They do have an ordinary city tour bus that takes you to all the sites, and I did that, but I didn’t have the energy left to go retrace my steps to see anything I couldn’t get off to see on the tour.  In the end I was disappointed.

The Battery

One thing to point out about Charleston:  Their visitors center is centrally located and has plenty of all day parking (which of course you have to pay for). It’s a good jumping off point for your day in Charleston and it’s where you should go first.

City Market

Upon leaving Charleston I found a campground in Francis Marion National Forest. The next morning I passed through Myrtle Beach, which is just as touristy as you can imagine, but also has a beachfront state park.  It was a Saturday morning, but it was off season so few people were there. But I’ll bet it’s a nightmare in the summer.

 After that it was on to North Carolina and the Outer Banks.