We had an incredible time with Brian on the Smith River. He took the time to teach the beginners…read morehow to navigate their kayaks and educated us on wildlife along the way. Our crew had a blast! Professional, knowledgeable, and patient!

Spent a few days last week with Brian from Smith River Outfitters on the Smith River. This guy know…read morefly fishing and the Smith River. I was impressed with his knowledge of where to fish, what to use, and the habits of the wildlife on the river. Also find out the his company also does float trips and rental several different types of water craft for river use. It's not often one that a client gets the owner of the business as a guide, I was fortunate. If you decide to fish the Smith call his company and ask for him. He will put you on fish, keep you entertained and provide memories for a lifetime. Check out his web site the pictures are the real deal. I will fish with him again.

This area recently opened. It has a gravel parking area (handicapped spot is paved), with concrete…read moresteps leading down to the Ararat river. Two wooden beams down the middle of the steps for boat access.

Good food from Cascade Cafe Friendly service…read moreNice Wifi Interesting things to shop for and look at. Outdoor services available. Fishing, boating etc.

We're from northern VA and to some in other parts of VA, we might as well be from DC. That being…read moresaid, lifestyles vary greatly throughout regions. I called and made reservations through Tangent Outfitters a month ahead of our stay in Pearisburg and when we neared the time of our arrival our plans changed and I called to change dates. In northern VA, we call, we text... maybe I left one too many messages; it's just the way I think the world works- but I could be wrong. Unfortunately, when the day arrived for our kayaking trip, we had immense rain and as city folks, we didn't feel comfortable and called to cancel our reservations, again, maybe that was the one too many calls. Shawn's response was, "ah, I'm over it. If you want to come great; if you don't..." at first I wanted to believe that he was referring to the rain- 'being over" one of the rainiest springs we've experienced in VA, but after some thought, I'm pretty sure he was referring to my calls. Being patient is important, especially in business. The Pearisburg/Pembroke/Blacksburg area is beautiful and we hope to be back soon, but I'm not sure if I'd make another call to Tangent Outfitters.

You can park at the lower or upper access, I recommend parking at the upper if you aren't paddling…read more It is about a two mile walk that doesn't loop. The trail is very sandy in some parts so be prepared for that, I also recommend wearing bug spray. We had a blast walking out onto the rocks. You can also play in the river, bring a picnic or go fishing.

Josh is awesome! Got me into fishing when we deployed together. Extremely knowledgeable when it…read morecomes to fresh water fishing. Expect good conversation and some bass action!! Highly recommend to relax and enjoy the sport

Been out a few times with Josh. His fishing knowledge of the local and surrounding area is second…read moreto none. Always good fishing, always good conversation. A must if you are in the area.

Went here for a guided fishing session and it was amazing! Ranger reynolds was great in showing us…read morehow to fish and introduced me to a great activity. I caught a boue gill and i am awesome! There is so mych more here and i am looking forward to exploring more

Lovely spot for a two mile hike. Gentle path, a little rooted, but no steep hills. Lots of shade.read more

My first time fly fishing and could not have asked for a better experience! Matt is an excellent…read moreinstructor and extremely knowledgeable. He put us right where we needed to be every time. I learned so much in one day that I can't wait to put those skills to use again.

From the owner: Guided Fly Fishing Trips on the Smith River in Bassett Virginiaread more

I came to this campground after I looked on line to see if I could fish during the night for…read morecatfish. The answer came back that registered campers could but not general public. Park day use areas close down at 10 PM. According to the Internet, they only close these fishing areas at 10 PM for daytime visitors but last registered campers fish all night. At 10PM, we were asked to leave the fishing pier. I mentioned what the Internet said and the ranger seemed baffled and said that it's not true so we had to leave. He did say he would look into it because it was important to him that people had the right info. Problem is, during the summer, in this part of the country, the water gets hot and the fish go deep. Being a bank angler, it's impossible to catch any catfish during the day, they only come shallow at night. The bass fishing is the same. Fishermen and hunters pay for the bulk of what it costs to keep these parks operational yet when we would like to use them, we get the shaft. This quote is from the VA Outdoors Management : A lot of our funding to help conserve wildlife and habitat comes from public spending on things like fishing and hunting licenses, tags, or stamps, boat registrations, and via a federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition. Those sources of financial support have helped us protect hundreds of species and their habitat for over 100 years, but there's always more we can do for Virginia's wildlife. That's where you come in. You too can become a steward of the outdoors by supporting our work or working with us -- whether you hunt, fish, and boat or simply enjoy the outdoors. So, you can see what I'm saying. It is not right or fair that everyone else gets to do what they want but we flip the bill for it. Then our rights keep getting tanked. They put hiking trails and bike trails and beaches for swimming, but keep taking away hunting and fishing rights and they keep raising the prices. Hunters and fishermen are always on the bottom of the list of whom these people cater to. It's not fair or just. At the very least, we should be able to fish when we want especially when that is the only time those fish will bite!!!

This park is one of those ones that feels like a private to public site; the majestic house at the…read morelakefront has been turned into a visitor center. The visitor center has a room or two of exhibitions on hydrology and wildlife but is not anything big. I came seeking a New Year's hike and expecting some scenery while being unsure if the amount of trails available would be enough. I managed to spend a solid two hours circumnavigating the place. In summer, swimming and boating are more likely the activities du jour, and it appears to be an excellent place for such activities. While the park looks close to the highway on the map, it feels like being at a park and there isn't any road noise. Like most VA state parks, they do charge for parking (waived for New Year's Day).