1. Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center

    1. Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center

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    Sandy Level, VA

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    Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center

    3.0 (4 reviews)

    Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center Photos

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    5 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    4 years ago

    It an electrical dam so not much to see and make sure to check days and hours that are open. A very lovely small park.

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    4 years ago

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    Kerr Lake State Recreation - Beautiful day at Kerr Lake.

    Kerr Lake State Recreation

    4.6(13 reviews)
    76.1 mi

    Can't wait to return next year. This place was awesome. Came here for a nice relaxing weekend at…read morethe end of the summer. We had a tent site right on the water. Every day we would eat drink and swim all day and had a blast. There was no place to buy wood at this park. So make sure that you have some wood for fires. We bought some from a 7-11 prior to coming. But we also found a tree that fell over that someone at the park cut up and let us take to burn. The bathrooms were not the best. Only one of the toilets door would close In-N-Out bathroom. But if you walked a little there was another bathroom. The showers didn't allow for much privacy. But we were swimming every day and got a quick shower in when no one else was there. Some of the sites have these cement areas near the water that are not comfortable to lay in. But I saw a few younger purple on them. I didn't even like sitting in them. Also near the water they get slippery. Make sure you are bringing some type of water shoes. There were a lot of people that had campers and boats near us. Lots of kids and many dogs. A great family destination.

    The big lakes have never really been my favorite state parks in NC. Not that that makes them…read moreinherently boring. In fact this one has quite a lot going on. With several access points, hiking, camping, swimming, fishing and boat slips there's no end to summer time enjoyment out here. And lemme tell you, this lake is huge. I wasn't quite aware of Kerr Lake until this stop through. As it seems most of the lake is in Virginia, it's not really heard of as much in NC, I feel like. But it's significant to the history of the area and of course for the energy infrastructure of this part of the country. I took a scenic drive along the expanse of the lake and drove into VA where I crossed the dam "just to say I did". The sheer size of the lake makes for incredible views. While it isn't a park that I see myself going back to anytime soon, I know it would be enjoyable in particular for families going on summer trips to camp and enjoy the water.

    Photos
    Kerr Lake State Recreation - Site next to us had this then the ranger removed it.

    Site next to us had this then the ranger removed it.

    Kerr Lake State Recreation - Showers. Curtains don't close all the way

    Showers. Curtains don't close all the way

    Kerr Lake State Recreation

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    Sandling Beach at Falls Lake - Seating area

    Sandling Beach at Falls Lake

    4.8(6 reviews)
    82.7 mi

    The beach is spotless, with no trash anywhere. You'll see a few hair ties and bottle caps, but…read morenothing major. The sand is coarse because of scattered pebbles and bits of wood, so bring floppers for comfort. The water is clean and safe. Two large buildings are available for changing and showering. Picnic tables sit under the trees, and grills are open for cooking. The park has multiple trails, a children's playground, and it's dog‑friendly for walking. Entrance fees: $10 per vehicle, $5 for seniors.

    Sandling is a man made beach within Falls Lake State Park. They charged $10 for the holiday…read moreweekend entrance fee. Sandling is accessible to the fire pits for barbecuing and is very small. Perfect for families and small children. You can access the beach on Creedmoor Rd. This was the perfect place for a convenient beach day 4th of July weekend. It saved me the 4 hour trip to Bear Island. I arrived early around 10:30 a.m. and there were no crowds. We camped out near the showers and bathrooms. This park is perfectly lined with trees in abundance. Perfect for barbecuing. We enjoyed our morning picnic and the water was very relaxing. I appreciate how clean the sand area was and the garbage was well organized as well. I brought my mother who is 72 and I had concerns about the proximity of the restrooms and showers and overall access. I was relieved to discover how convenient the beach access was for those with mobility impairment and disabilities. There are no pets allowed and no alcohol permitted. I watched the park rangers escort someone with a pit bull to the parking lot to return home and a woman was asked to dump out several beer cans. You have been warned. They run a tight ship here. I plan to return throughout the remainder of the summer months.

    Photos
    Sandling Beach at Falls Lake - Lake Beach

    Lake Beach

    Sandling Beach at Falls Lake - Beachfront

    Beachfront

    Sandling Beach at Falls Lake - View of the beach from the sand. (Cloudy at this time)

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    View of the beach from the sand. (Cloudy at this time)

    Claytor Lake State Park - Claytor Lake Large Cabin Living Room

    Claytor Lake State Park

    4.2(33 reviews)
    60.2 mi

    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).

    Photos
    Claytor Lake State Park - Claytor Lake Medium Cabin Living Room

    Claytor Lake Medium Cabin Living Room

    Claytor Lake State Park - Turtle

    Turtle

    Claytor Lake State Park - Claytor Lake Medium Cabin's New Floors

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    Claytor Lake Medium Cabin's New Floors

    Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center - boating - Updated September 2026

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