Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Without staying at the campground we rated it a 4, clean, nice, friendly park rangers, a place where you would be comfortable staying in.

The facilities are very nice, but the park is very small and geared toward the leisurely stroll folks rather than the hiking set. The park seems to be a mere crumb toward responsible land management. I think to adequately preserve and sustain at-​risk species the state of Virginia should have expanded the protected area around the park. Over development seems to be thriving along most of the shoreline outside the park. The park feels small in comparison to the lake.

I have been skiing on the lake since I was a kid. The parks are beautiful. The beaches are «man made» but nice. The water is the perfect setting to recharge and relax. There are so many activities. If you have energy and want to hike or go boating, you won’t lack for things to do. If you are lethargic and just want to stare at the water, you can accomplish that too. I would suggest visiting the park web site
.
We have had picnics, watched the fireworks, earned frostbite while waiting for Santa to wave from a boat, made arts and crafts in the park buildings, enjoyed hot coco on activities night and relaxed on the beaches.
If you are going to fish on the lake, make sure you have a license. The license fee varies from $ 16-​$ 23. The fine for not having one is $ 65.
Virginia is for Lovers or Lakers. Ya’ll stop by!

I LOVED IT HERE! Be certain i will be returning. It was a short trip, but very enjoyable to say the least. The drive down here was awesome and the scenery was just spectacular. I enjoyed every moment.
We stayed in a condo in Mariners Landing called LaPoitne, and it was a perfect one bedroom for us. We were located on the first floor looking over the Lake, it was breathtaking. We did have a balcony that we could sit on and enjoy the view.
We were able to hike through the state park which was very nicely maintained but not too overdone where you didn’t feel like you were hiking. There are several trails you can walk, not super long, but enough where you can feel like you are in the wilderness. (if that’s what you are going for).
I’d recommend this place to anyone looking for a quiet time to enjoy with family or a significant other. It truly does relax you to be away from the buzzing Northern Virginia Area.

This little sandwich shop located on the beach portion of the state park is by far the best we’ve ever had at a state park facility. The new manager (Katherine) has been there about a year and has turned the place around. The Chicken wraps and Turkey BLT are OUTSTANDING and only four or five bucks. We couldn’t even eat the whole thing. We chatted with the manager after our meal, and she has received many compliments. We actually went back another day in our vacation just to eat, nothing else. Best lunch on the water. Try it out.

I haven’t been everywhere in the park, but I’ve seen most of the trails. Fishing around the park is pretty good. They release all of the fish from tournaments here so you can pick up some decent bass around the park. The bike trails are in decent shape. I wouldn’t venture out on them if i didn’t have a decent bike and obviously a helmet. Some trails are a little more rough than others.
I think there are some camp sites here as well. I’ve heard they’re nice, but if I have a house, i’m not sleeping on the ground.
This is a great place for kids to run around. It’s a great place for adults to run around too. There are some great scenic spots around the park. I’m not going to tell you where, because you should go out on your own adventure to find them ;)
have fun!

On my road trip back home from Nashville, my partner in crime wanted to have a beach day. After some careful research, and reeling in our dreams of the ocean, I realized Smith Mountain Lake would be a perfect place. The lake is relatively easy to find, but I found that it did take longer than expected to find it because of all the windy roads. Once I got to the park, I had to pay $ 3 to get on the property. You can ask for a packet which will include hiking trail maps, amenity/​parking/​driving maps, and some information about the area.
Near the designated swimming area, there are bathrooms, changing rooms, picnic tables and a snack bar. They serve basic things like ice cream, hotdogs, grilled cheese and fries for very little money. It does cost another $ 3 to get your swim band which seems reasonable considering they had several life guards on duty.
While we were there slowly easing into the water (I’m a huge wimp), everyone was called out because the life guards had a Water Moccasin citing. They «chased» it away, inspected the swimming area and after about 10 minutes people were allowed in the water again. Being from the northeast, I had no idea what a Water Moccasin was and proceeded to ask the lifeguards about 25 questions about them. They were pretty patient and were able to answer my questions. I waited until parents let their little ones get back in the water, you can’t be too safe when there are poisonous snakes around.
I hiked one of the smaller trails (the lake loop) near the Visitor Center which included beautiful views of the lake. There were benches periodically for people to sit and relax. Before I left, I also checked out the amphitheater and one of the boat dock areas. Overall, Smith Mountain Lake had tons of activities that for only $ 6 was a perfect break from driving.

Decent state park, tent camping areas were a bit rocky. Bathrooms were pretty stinky, but that’s what you often get when camping. The area if very picturesque and the beach was very nice. Good trails, too.