Openings · last 7 days
1
Booking reality
Campsite Sniper detected 1 site opening here in the last 7 days
01 · Detected Opening History · the openings record · file CS-233353
When Carr Creek Lake Shelters reopens
Carr Creek Lake Shelters's openings record: every site-date Campsite Sniper detected turning available, logged and time-stamped. Refreshed hourly.
Openings · last 30 days
1
Openings · last 90 days
4
Only 4 openings in the last 90 days: not enough recent activity for a reliable pattern. A free Campsite Sniper alert watches around the clock instead, and pings you the moment one opens.
02 · Availability Outlook · Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026 · of 8 monitored sites
Of the 104 tracked reservation dates (Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026): 89 open for online reservation · 12 reserved · 3 closed.
Where the open windows are
14.4% of tracked reservation dates are not currently open for online reservation. 89 of 104 remain open; here is where they are.
Load status
Sep 18 – Sep 30, 2026Not open online14.4%
Open reservation dates89 / 104
Reserved (of online inventory)12 / 101
Weekday openings54
Weekend openings35
Of the open reservation dates on mapped day-use units, 54 fall on weekdays and 35 on weekends (Fri–Sun).
Open dates by month
Sep 2026 – Sep 2026September holds the most room. 89 of 104 reservation dates are still open there.
Holiday windows — day use
Units open per date · of 8 shelters| Window | Date | Units open | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor Day | SAT Sep 5 | 0 | None open |
| SUN Sep 6 | 0 | None open | |
| MON Sep 7 | 0 | None open |
Labor Day: no online availability on any tracked date.
Availability by shelter
Most open reservation dates · tracked window| Shelter | Open reservation dates |
|---|---|
| Willow Shelter | 13 |
| Dogwood Shelter | 12 |
| Holly Shelter | 11 |
| Laurel Shelter | 11 |
| Pin Oak Shelter | 11 |
The 5 shelters with the most open reservation dates in the current snapshot. Pair a bookable date with a free alert to cover everything else.
Next windows
As of Sep 18, 2026 snapshotNext open dateFri · Sep 18
Next open weekendFri · Sep 18
The next bookable date is Sep 18; the first open weekend starts Sep 18. Campsite Sniper can watch later dates for you.
Reservation dates
89 available reservation dates across 8 shelters at Carr Creek Lake Shelters, from the same hourly snapshot as everything above.
All 8 shelters with current availability
| Shelter | Open reservation dates | Consecutive dates | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Shelter | 13 | 13 dates | Sep 18, Sep 19, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29 +1 more |
| Dogwood Shelter | 12 | 11 dates | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| Holly Shelter | 11 | 6 dates | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| Laurel Shelter | 11 | 8 dates | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| Pin Oak Shelter | 11 | 6 dates | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 25, Sep 26, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| Poplar Shelter | 11 | 6 dates | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| White Pine Shelter | 11 | 6 dates | Sep 18, Sep 20, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 25, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
| Sycamore Shelter | 9 | 4 dates | Sep 18, Sep 21, Sep 22, Sep 23, Sep 24, Sep 27, Sep 28, Sep 29, Sep 30 |
About Carr Creek Lake Shelters
Overview
Carr Creek Lake Shelters are located on Carr Creek Lake on the same side of Kentucky Highway 160 as Littcarr Campground. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in cooperation with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, manages the land and water at Carr Creek Lake for wildlife, fisheries and recreation.
Recreation
The 710-acre lake and surrounding area offer a wide variety of outdoor recreation opportunities. Boating and water skiing are popular activities on the lake.
For the sportsman, fishing is an ever-present activity. Crappie, bass, bluegill and walleye are plentiful in the lake and provide hours of fishing enjoyment. Also, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife release trout in the tailwater throughout the summer months.
Hikers can find a short nature trail, less than a mile long, in the Dam/Tailwater area. For a bit more adventure, the 6-mile Sugar Branch Trail begins at the dam and ends at Sugar Lake Road.
Facilities
A total of eight picnic shelters are open for use from April through September. The shelters are known as Dogwood, Holly, Laurel, Pin Oak, Poplar, Sycamore, White Pine and Willow. Each is accessible and equipped with electricity, grills, picnic tables and lighting. Each shelter can accommodate up to 200 people; However we are asking that the number of people at each site will be limited to 10 persons due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Willow, Pin Oak, White Pine and Dogwood are located at the Littcarr Recreation Area, offering access to a boat ramp, playground, horseshoe pit and shoreline fishing. Sycamore and Poplar are in the Dam/Tailwater Area, with a horseshoe pit, large playground and volleyball courts nearby. Laurel and Holly are at the marina, where guests have access to a boat ramp, playground, horseshoe pits and accessible fishing pier. Restrooms are located near all shelters.
Natural Features
Carr Creek Lake is located in the mountainous region of southeastern Kentucky, about 16 miles from Hazard and 18 miles from Whitesburg. The dam is located 8.8 miles above the mouth of Carr Fork, a tributary of the North Fork of the Kentucky River.
8 monitored sheltersDay use4 shadedWaterfrontLakefrontRiverfrontPets OKMax party 200
Getting there
Carr Creek Lake's Littcarr Recreation Area is located apprioxiately 19 miles from Hazard, Kentucky. Route from Hazard to Littcarr Recreation Area is via KY Route 15 south 17 miles to KY Route 160, then 2 miles to Littcarr Recreation Area. Dogwood Shelter: After turning from KY 15, Dogwood Shelter is located on the first right turn at the Littcarr Recreation Area. (Dogwood Shelter is located next to the restroom, just above the Willow Shelter). Holly Shelter: After turning from KY 15, the Marina Recreation Area is the first left turn after turning onto Smith Branch Road. (Holly Shelter is the first shelter on your right as one enters the recreation area). Laurel Shelter: After turning from KY 15, the Marina Recreation Area is the first left turn after turning onto Smith Branch Road. (Laurel Shelter is the second shelter on your right as one enters the recreation area). Pin Oak Shelter: After turning from KY 15, Pin Oak Shelter is located on the second left turn at the Littcarr Recreation Area. Poplar Shelter: After turning from KY 15, the Tailwater Recreation Area is the second left turn after passing the Carr Creek Lake Dam. Poplar Shelter is the first shelter on your right as one enters the recreation area. (Poplar Shelter is located in the same recreation area as Sycamore Shelter, which is the second shelter one would encounter in the recreation area.) Sycamore Shelter: After turning from KY 15, the Tailwater Recreation Area is the second left turn after passing the Carr Creek Lake Dam. Sycamore Shelter is the second shelter on your right as one enters the recreation area. White Pine Shelter: After turning from KY 15, White Pine Shelter is located on the first left turn at the Littcarr Recreation Area. Also, the only boat ramp in the Littcarr Recreation Area is located near the White Pine Shelter. Willow Shelter: After turning from KY 15, Willow Shelter is located on the first right turn at the Littcarr Recreation Area. (Willow Shelter is located at the bottom of the hill just past the Dogwood Shelter).
843 Sassafras Creek Road, Sassafras, KY 41759
BoatingCampingFishingHikingWater Sports
View on Recreation.gov ↗ Get directions ↗
03 · Field Photos · roll CS-233353 · facility
Photo gallery
Roll CS-233353 · Carr Creek Lake Shelters · Sassafras KY6 frames · facility
FAQ
How do I get a reservation at Carr Creek Lake Shelters?
Reservations for Carr Creek Lake Shelters are made through Recreation.gov. The current snapshot shows substantial availability: 89 of 104 tracked reservation dates are open (85.6%), though availability can change. Campsite Sniper has also detected 4 site openings here in the last 90 days, so further dates may appear. Pick the shelter on the map to see its reservation calendar, or set a free Campsite Sniper alert. You complete the reservation yourself on Recreation.gov.
Does Campsite Sniper book this facility for me?
No. Campsite Sniper sends alerts and direct Recreation.gov links. It never books, pays for, holds, hoards, or resells reservations.
How current is this availability data?
Campsite Sniper re-checks public Recreation.gov availability for this facility every hour and republishes whenever anything changes. This facility's data last changed at Sep 18, 2026 16:19 UTC; an older timestamp means nothing has changed since that time, not that checking stopped. Always confirm final availability on Recreation.gov when you book.
How often do new openings appear at Carr Creek Lake Shelters?
Campsite Sniper detected 1 site-date opening at Carr Creek Lake Shelters in the last 7 days, 1 over 30 days and 4 over the last 90.
Which month has the most availability at Carr Creek Lake Shelters?
September 2026, with 89 open reservation dates in the current snapshot of 104.
When is the next open date at Carr Creek Lake Shelters?
As of the Sep 18, 2026 snapshot: the next open date is Fri, Sep 18 and the next open weekend starts Fri, Sep 18. Detected openings can add earlier dates at any time; a free Campsite Sniper alert catches those the moment they appear.
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