Reviews of Smith Mountain Lake State Park (Park)

Bill Hampson

Lake and beach area are beautiful. But the restrooms were terrible. There was no toilet paper in most of the stalls. And they were dirty. When we informed the staff they said it wasn't their responsibility. Two hours later it still wasn't taken care off. There were a lot of of lifeguards on duty but they never opened the slide in the lake until late in the afternoon. Of course all the kids went to do the slide. Can't blame them. But it resulted in a long wait time for them. The lifeguards just didn't seem to care.

Jane Brandon

Great state park with camping, cabins, boat launch, beach, and trails. The park is popular, which leads to being busy and some of the campsites are fairly close, so you hope for conscientious neighbors. The staff are wonderful and helpful. Definitely worth a visit if you've never been.

Lori Davis

Beautiful park. I think it needs more special parking for handicapped and maternity type too. The park is well maintained and even the beach is clean! The water was fairly clear and cool enough to enjoy with out freezing...not that park can control that. Recommended this park. Even has an Ice Cream Boat (equivalent to the truck).

David Hurley

Clean park with beautiful views of the lake

Teresa Whitlatch

Went for vacation lake was very large and clean, boat rentals in area reasonable.

Justin Kolaya

Beautiful park. Lots of hiking trails around the lake and up higher into the mountains. Would have rated 5 stars, but after paying an admission fee, some areas inside the park charge an additional fee for parking, swimming and other activities.

ashley pogue

Beautiful place for a family hike!

Daniel Joshua

Huge lake. But severely overcrowded. I'd choose another location just to get some peace. The beach is gross. Mostly because so many people visit it. The management is kinda rude. But I suppose they need to be. They deal with a loads of annoying people. The camping sites aren't very private or quiet. Maybe nice if you want to camp without actually being in the woods. I prefer a more desolate camp ground myself.

Douglas Young

Clean, well staffed park. Fun place to swim and hike.

Dave Taylor

Another gem of a park as are most in the state of Virginia. Featuring many hiking trails that border Smith Mountain Lake, beautiful log cabins, and spacious camping areas; there are plenty of ways to enjoy the outdoors. There is a boat ramp and extended fishing pier and the best public beach on Smith Mountain Lake. Pavilions are available for family gatherings.

Van Sokolik

Lots downed trees not cleaned up. Dock has broken boards and seats.

James Gill

We had such a fantastic trip here! Great facilities and peaceful camping!

Janice Lane

A beautiful place. Nice beach, great swimming and pretty views. Great for families.

Rizwan Chaudhry

A beautiful getaway for those comfortable with nature and the ability of letting go of your digital self. The scenery is breathtaking, with plenty of hiking around the lake. The views on these trails are some of the most gorgeous I've ever seen; I think most people will love them too. But again, T-Mobile is spotty at best, and there is very little coverage for Verizon or AT&T. So while there is not much else to do, the lake, the trails, the local country markets can fill up your time if you let them. PLEASE LET THEM!

Judi Edmonson

Absolutely amazing the whole movie rented was fabulous we rented a pontoon which was really nice right at the marina right next door lake is absolutely gorgeous with the mountains surrounding it tons and tons of islands lots of fish believe me you'll love it you'll want to go back we're going back next year again enjoy

Ladii J

Beach was very clean. Lifeguards were extremely attentive to how people were behaving in the water and called them out on anything that could cause harm. Will definitely visit with my family again in the future.

Angela Wood

My family loves to hike the trails and play on the play grounds. Geocaching is also a blast here! The campgrounds are clean and the lake is fun to take the kids swimming.

Rebecca Fitzgerald

Always a great visit.

Katherine Gaitan

Let me just say that you cannot go wrong spending a day or an entire weekend here. The people are super friendly and the water just perfect for boat riding,swimming, and other sport activity. We do plan on coming back!

Joseph Shredl

We like coming here. Nice well maintained cabins with boat docks. The beach is the best. We use it every day. Good snack bar and facilities. The ice cream boat stops by every afternoon!!

James Stefanic

Nice place to visit. Last week of August was the best time!

Sush Sam

Great place to hang out with family! The beach is good too!

STEWART GRAHAM

Ok, spread out , not for me.

Regina Radford

Very nice park. Well maintained

Angela Bogush

Loved it! Took the boat tour and it was so relaxing.

Sharon Pyszkowski

Beautiful area and rangers best anywere around live this place

Dottie Vexler

Wonderful park. The campground is well shaded with lots of privacy between campsites. We camped here in our 5th wheel in May. Only problem is there is only 30amp electric so in the Summer months, we could not run both air conditioners.Bathhouse is very clean. The hiking trails are well maintained. There is a swimming beach with a snack bar. The park staff are very friendly. Love this park

Helen

Very pretty with nice beach

John Carwile

Great clean park to take the family

Brandon Moats

We had a great time swimming.

Makenzie Kelly

Had fun, even caught some fish!

bass masstr

Great place. Boat launch is nice, lots of parking, great beach

Melissa Battle

Beautiful park with plenty to do and see. Fishing, boat rentals, a beach with a full snack bar and tons of trails. We had a blast!

Alma Gonzalez

You had to pay to get into the water, but they had some attractions.

Steven Foster

They have a nice Beach area great for swimming lifeguards on duty all time great food in the snack bar

Andrew Natale

Great vacation spot good food .. nice lake and hiking trails . . . Only 10 hrs drive from ontario.. great fishing and paddle boat rentals camping on site .

Gary Bowen

It is very nice and clean Beach that got messed sign off for the kids to go swimming and it's a beautiful Sandy Beach

Jo Myers

We had so much fun

Kristin

This is really the perfect park. It is well maintained and you can find privacy for a picnic even when the park is packed. Great place for family fun!

Donna Davis

Just wanted to get away for the night and this was perfect. I loved everything about it!

KD Carlton

I have heard of Smith Mountain Lake State Park. I am trying to recall, and remember when I saw the lake. I am not sure if I was with my bestfriend, or if it was with my father before I left Roanoke. I know that Smith Mountain Lake State Park is a very well known place to visit. The pictures that I have seen on television shows a very beautiful area that seems very welcoming to visitors, and the residents that live near the Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Patricia Anderson

We went to the State Forest and walked along the lake. It was beautiful! The park was well maintained. We didn't stay long because it was a windy day but I would have loved to walk on one of their trails.

Pat Baumgartner

Nice short, easy trails for a post dinner walk

waverly phillips

A Beautiful state park located by a gigantic lake. Regrettably, we visited in the Winter and did not get to partake in any kayaking or boating but will be back to do so. The cabins were modern and lovely, also the lakeside ones had boat slips.

Mark Whitlock

Very well kept. Very enjoyable

Dena Poofa

My first time here. And it's beautiful. I didn't want to leave. A little piece of heaven. I mean just beautiful

Johnnie Hayes

A great place

Jaimie Wommack

Really pretty. Fun beach. One trail to walk around. Lots of side areas if the beach is full. $2 a person to use the beach. Playground is nice for kids.

Lumpy

Very pretty campground. Well kept and clean. Woodsy and hilly. Only reason I rated it 4 stars is the sites are a little too close together.

susan sease

Always 5 stars! We've been staying here for a week during the summer for 18 years sporadically. Just a beautiful place to relax and unwind!

Mary Paul

Beautiful well kept park. Gorgeous swimming beaches. No mud, clear clean water and soft sand.

David Taylor

Beautiful lake! The camping spots are pretty nice, except that you don't have a lot of space between your neighbors. Restrooms and showers were clean, all of the staff were very friendly and helpful. Make reservations well in advance for the best spots. There are a lot of good, short trails close to the camping. Perfect for a short hike!

ricky lacks

Great place to have fun!

Sharon Woehr

The lake is so beautiful.I love the drive to get to the lake.

Prasant Samal

Good place during summer. Book your boats earlier and enjoy the beach. The drive to park is also scenic.

Josh Ham

Always a favorite of the family

angeliz

Loved the views, serenity and peaceful areas definitely a lovely place to revisit.

Jennifer Clifton

Cabins are super nice, great trails easy access to lots of ammenites.

T S

This is such a cute little man made beach-lake. Perfect for picnics or day out with family and friends. You have the option of renting kayaks and boats, swim, use the playground, fish, or camp. Only negative experience i had last summer was that the beach was filthy, they had bird poop everywhere. We were there in the morning, so you could tell they hadn’t cleaned up. You pay for parking and to use the beach, so someone isn’t doing their job.

Heshan Gunawardane

Great VA state park with a nice swimming beach and rentals of all sorts of watersports equipment from jet skis all the way to pontoon boats

David de la Rocha

What a beautiful location! Excellent State Park, well maintained facilities, activities and ample hiking trials.

Charles Ross

Great place for a vacation! Fishing, boating, relaxing, water sports, and relaxation. Beautiful views and plenty of lake to explore. I've been there 3 times and go back now twice a year. Check out this American gem nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The sky is so clear I saw the Milky way for the first time. Awe inspiring!!

Jamis Coda

Used to be a regular when I lived close by, but havent been in a couple years since moving to Roanoke. Nice size beach and extended it some years ago. But that section was often closed to swimming, even on weekends. A lot of rules including no floats or flotation devices past first rope. No coolers allowed on beach. Lifeguard turned in guy for alcohol on his breath and guy was put in handcuffs without a breathalyzer being given. He wasnt causing any trouble at all even after being arrested. Alcohol isnt allowed on premises even in your cabin, although I dont think they really check that. Nice in season concession stand. Bathroom with showers. Overall Im just used to the small public beaches on the Va. coast that dont draw a lot of tourist. (Buckroe Beach, Grandview Beach, Ocean View Beach, Yorktown Beach and Huntington Beach). Particularly you can swim on those beaches after they close for the day and in the off season. It was really frustrating to have beautiful days in September and early October and you couldnt swim. Nice wide mountain bike and hiking trails with beautiful views of the lake. Enjoyed them in cooler months when no bugs out. Not really kept up good for serious mountain 8biking. Many fallen trees. I hit one going downhill and got thrown over the handlebars. I do think it is good Rangers enforce the speed limt throughout the park, and Im sure they also get many drunks off the road. I do see the park reads reviews. I know we have to follow rules. Just curious why swimming at your own risk isnt allowed at SMLSP like at the public municipal parks I mentioned above?

paul stout

Overall ok, nice bath house, couldn't start a fire till after 4:30, camp host watch me set up our camper, then decides i needed to move to another site because he thought a tree might fall on us.weird ? Lake is smaller than i thought, but nice. Might go back.

Katrina Webster

Wonderful. Clean. Great hiking trails Good beach. Friendly people

Kathy Beeman

Just nice place to relax and be in nature.

Donna Walker

Beautiful lake! Nice folks. We rented a pontoon boat at Mitchells and had a blast!

Daniel Swisher

Clean bathrooms, great Sandy Beach swimming area, Awesome boat launch area!

W Bru

Nice park

David Hartzell

I would highly recommend Smith Mountain Lake. You can hike and bike all the trails. There's a cool little light on call Turtle Island you can check out. And the swimming in the lake at the beach is outstanding the water's crystal clear. Will not disappoint.

Karl Spanbauer

Absolutely fantastic campground! Clean bathrooms and showers. Campsites are well sized for RVs and tents. Great for families. Camp host has wood bundles ($4) and ice bags ($2) for sale right in the campground. Super convenient! The only negative would be the multiple confederate flags some campers are flying - but hey, it's southern Virginia, what can you expect?

Val Keith

Beautiful and clean place to spend the day.

Mark Brady

Best place on earth, by far. A slice of heaven on earth

Angelina Tseng

It is a quiet place to chill out and feel super relaxing

Chad

I am not a fan of paying to launch my boat at a state park. I can not figure out that logic?? However, this place is very nice. Launching here will put you right in the heart of Smith Mountain Lake.

Susan D

Life guard doing her job!ate a very clean

Tom Maglosky

Lazy life guards was the only negative about my family's day there

Fred Hodges

2.00 fee is great. 2 bucks for all day swimming and a beach. Really nice place.

Henry Morton

Beautiful place

Alex

An amazing destination for anyone looking for scenic views, tranquility, swimming or just to be closure to nature. We have been coming here for many years and it never gets old. The sunsets across the water, cutting through the trees and setting behind the mountains is a view that will never fade with time. If you are close by, stop by.

Larry Edison

Smith Mountain Lake State Park is beautiful. There is a lot to do there. There are playgrounds for the kids, hiking trails, a beautiful beach, a boat launch, camping, and cabins. We stayed in cabin # 20. It had a couple of maintenance issues but was still very nice. I'm posting pictures of the inside of it and the back deck and outdoor eating area. I highly recommend it.

Lee Medley

It's sad when you have 3 life guards sitting behind the life guard stand and 1 more watching everyone actually on the stand but can't keep the slide in the water open for the kids. I was there for 3.5 hrs with my nieces and the slide was open for 30mins. Plus people had to stay in the middle area even though there was enough life guards to man the other 2 life guard stands. There needs to be someone older at the beach area monitoring the life guards.

steve meredith

Love the park but they charge $7.00 per vehicle to park, which is fine for a car because it takes up ONE parking space. My wife and I sometimes ride our motorcycles there and only take up ONE parking space. Why should we have to pay $14.00 to park on bikes and only $7.00 in our car? Discrimination for motorcyclists?

Will Forrestal

Great hiking trails. A lot of area to explore. Great beach and Jet Ski Rentals.

Anthony Ostrander

Nice public place, clean restrooms and beach area..

Mike Johnson

Nice place

Darlene Burdette

Awesome place to swim.

Diane Neal

Love this place. So peacefully and relaxing.

Charlie Bonilla

Great place to go camping

Joaquin Diaz

Good small beach lake clean with lifeguards on duty be prepare to pay for swimming at the beach with entrance fee.

Noor Ayoob

Gorgeous place and it's amazing to be there for few days of vacation. Definitely worth all the money and the time.. here is some nice pics of the lake.

Jay Hogben

Hiked 10 miles here along the lake and would love to do it again...

Kathleen Beeman

Curvy roads when you get closer to the lake windy!

DeeDee Hanson

Had a great time. There is something for everyone to do. They do a fantastic job of keeping the park clean and well maintained.

Todd Dunham

Camper sites were amazing! Wished we would’ve skipped the swimming area. Swimming area was disgusting. Large amounts of geese feces at waters edge of the center swim area. I would think that would be a health public health issue. Open and charging admission yesterday (5/18/2019). Lifeguards were on duty. When attempting to avoid the feces by going to the side area, the lifeguards yelled to stay in the center area.

Patrick Parnell

Easy to get to, nice fishing pier

Leslie Ferguson

I really loved where we were today at the parkway avenue. It's very pretty.

Amanda Dunn

Very family friendly! We had went here early today and loved walking the trails. We found picnic tables that lined up next to the water and that's where we sat down and ate our lunch. We will definitely be back and will be bringing more family throughout the summer!

Debbie Chandler Bahouth

Good time with grandchildren at the playground. There was some folks that thought it was okay to let their very wet, unleashed dogs run up on us. Maybe some additional instruction for inconsiderate people.

Nuren Iftekhar

Well organized. Tranquil environment perfect for camping.

chris farthing

Huge lake. Great bass fishing

Joshua Olney Zide

Very nice start park with good hiking. A warning about the massive number of ticks might have been helpful!

Andrea Villedaaa

It’s a nice lake. Fun to swim! But it’s impossible with those pesky lifeguards saying no floats past the red rope. On top of the annoying lifeguards, my mother went to swim underwater and cut her forehead of a rock! It wasn’t a small rock either!

Mallory Ruff

Loved this park. So far it's one of the better one's we have visited. The beach is clean, staff is friendly, and prices reasonable. We will be back. Special thanks to Ranger Jet for being so kind and informative!

Mark Speas

I love it very nice place

Sunny W

TICKS! area bad here. They are bad all over the lake area. But, I've never come here and left with less than 1 tick on me. I've hiked for days other places with none. Beach is tiny! Views are nice.

Cat Weller

Beautiful and relaxing day. Nothing to complain about.

Grace L. Miller

Great fishing and swimming.

Max Reynolds

Such a beautiful place. So many activities to do. I really enjoyed being there after "the season". We pretty much had the whole area to ourselves. The trails were great and the water still felt amazing. I will definitely be coming back to explore more.

Mr. Hairston

Overall a nice place but the trails could be cleaned up, a lot of falling trees. The fishing is Amazing to be honest probably one of the best things you can do at this lake besides the Jet ski’s.

Stephanie Pennington

Love the lake. Beautiful. Peaceful.

zooplayz 159

Good day today

Hatch Reppard

I recently camped 1 night at SML state Park and was really impressed with the property and the facilities. We reserved one of the "non site specific" tent camping sites online a few weeks in advance. When we arrived and checked in with the visitor's office, we found we had our pick of about 10 tent camping sites, all of which had a fire rings with a grill attached to it, a nice picnic table, a post to hang a latern, and a large level area of pea gravel - about big enough that most people could park their car and set up 1 large tent, or 2 small tents. There was a bath house with very nice, well maintained facilities, including 4 separate private showers, and a dish washing station. The bath house was at the center of the camp site and less than 100 yards from the farthest site. The park has a very nice Beach area to swim, miles of very easy hiking trails, lots of educational programs, and a small camp store at the visitor's center. It was a great experience, and I would highly recommend it!

Melanie Slaughter

Smith Mountain Lake is so beautiful and one of my most favorite places!

Callie Ferrell

if u don’t have a house on the lake or know someone that does, this is basically the only place to go. u have to pay for parking AND entry. “snack bar” wasn’t open so enjoy dying of dehydration if u don’t bring ur own water lmao

Dean Andryeyev

Our favorite place to vacation.

Gerald

Actually at Smith Mtn Lake Community park on the Franklin Co. side of the lake. Never been here but I like it

Cindy Plauche

Enjoyed this park great staff, clean and nice bathhouses, lots of things to do. We took the batty wagon tour and it was very educational and fun.

Timothy Young

Great spot for the serious hiker ! Hiking trails are natural, unimproved through the woods. Lots of hills ! If you want to go to the waterfront, you need to hike 2 miles or have a vehicle available. Beautiful Lake, clean shady RV campsites with a bathhouse conveniently located to all the sites. Water and electrical hookups only. Dump station nearby. Very helpful and friendly camp staff.

Sharon Mills Speas

Beautiful State Park. Fun

Sheri Eklund

We had only about 3 hours to spend and enjoyed every minute. Did a little hiking and exploring and a lot of bench-sitting by the lake in the much appreciated sunshine! Beautiful park. Hope to be back at a nicer time of year.

carol vitrano

Love the lake

veronica anderson

Its ok except the prices keep going up every year 7 just to park.

Jessica Lewis

Loved it! Rented a pontoon boat with a 2 other couples and we all enjoyed ourselves!

Nick Ward

These photos were actually taken at the community park near Blackwater Cafe. The park is very well maintained. There's a playground for the kids. Plenty of available picnic tables. A huge dock for fishing or just enjoying the view. A beach for swimming and sunbathing in the summer. A must visit if you're in the area.

Caleb Clark

loved it would recommend

Reed Hodges

Nice park, but bathrooms need to be cleaner and remodel.

Christine Olson

A beautiful state park! There are several hiking trails, ranging from flat, easy trails to challenging trails. If you make it to the top of the hills, you are rewarded with beautiful views over the valleys. But even from the field by the parking lot, the view is lovely. The rangers on staff are knowledgeable and there are many interesting programs throughout the year. They have a cute gift shop. A wonderful park for hikers, families, and romantic outings!

Amanda Vogel

We had a great winter excursion and stayed in the cabins. The kitchen had enough equipment for us to do lots of cooking. It was clean and comfortable. The front porch was a very relaxing place to drink my coffee and relax. The lake is beautiful.

Monir Max

Too many fees. Entry fee, beach fee. It's not worthy. Good for fishing though.

Bob Jones

Nice place to visit, even for a day trip. The boats at their marina are expensive, but are in great condition. And their tritoons have big canvas awnings -- lots of shade. The shore along the park is quiet. Great for swimming and relaxing on the water. My big complaint is the young men running the marina let kids swim off the dock -- very dangerous with boats coming and going.

Deb Leed

Just beautiful, so very relaxing.

Katie Dukarm

The lake is beautiful and the park is perfect! We stayed at the campground for a long weekend, and took advantage of the great facilities. There are paddle boards and kayaks to rent, and we spent a day out on the water. Locals were friendly and welcoming, and there were plenty of options for food and other necessities.

Random Acts of Intelligence

This is an amazing lake. The fishing is really good. We filled the cooler with striped bass in just a few hours. The people down here are also very friendly. The local food and restaurants are also very good, but can be a little pricey if you aren't careful where you go. Finally the atmosphere is very relaxing and refreshing. I am definitely going to come again. Five Stars!

John Gunther 3

Horribly RUDE staff, seems they could care less about their guest. Water was green, murky and nasty. Looked more like a sewer system than a lake. Hiking paths we unkept, overgrown in serious need of attention. In most places you couldn't tell where the path went or if you were still on the path because of the waist high weeds. Worst state park I've ever been too and would not return nor recommend it to ANYONE! PATHETIC WASTE OF STATE FUNDS!

Ramakrishna Vetury

Serene getaway for nature weekends. Cabins are great weekend getaways. Biking, lake activities, hiking. Easy terrain so family friendly.

Christopher Clark

Beautiful trails and awesome facilities for enjoying all the lake has to offer.

Thomas Bland

Really enjoyed our stay

Andrea

A very nice location for picnics and walking. I try to go during off season because there are a lot of people otherwise. I take the dogs sometimes to walk and swim. I used to swim when I was younger but I don't care for the crowds anymore. I don't mind paying the fee to visit this beautiful state park and I'm glad we have a place such as this to enjoy.

Maggie Oliveri

Fabulous place. This was my first time here. It's $7 to get in then all the activities are more but it's a beautiful place. Just bring plenty of money.

Josh Tarpley

Excellent state park! Love coming to the park for a great lake day. Highly recommend it for any locals looking for a lake experience.

Asher Levi Woods

Definitely affordable for families and a great spot to swim and walk

Joanne Bridges

Love this place. Plan to retire here!!

Tina Grove

Beautiful park, cabins are lovely, would be better if they had a view of the lake. Nice boat rentals.

John Hull

All of Virginia’s state parks are great!

Rick Mebane

Nice friendly place to visit

Lisa Cantrell

The ONLY thing we could say that is a con with this park is that the sites, while beautiful, spacious and graveled, are not level. Some clearly aren't and ours, with a reservation was way off side to side. Otherwise from the location, the hiking trails, the Visitor Center and staff, the quiet, the showers (hot, decent pressure, spacious)to the friendly camp hosts and easy access to the blue Ridge Parkways this place was wonderful!

Audra Wilson

I think it's great that parking is free for the handicap (and just a couple dollars regularly). It's so beautiful and relaxing and we have a great time every time whether we are fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking, or just enjoying the beauty. A great place for all ages!

Barry Wilson

This place looks like a lot of fun I will be going to check it out

Danielle Collins

Love The Views Love The Prices Great Play to Relax For the Day

dale royston

Not worth the trip. 1) Google couldn't find the park 2) most of lake private 3) ONE boat ramp place. 4)limited places to stay. 5) area seems to cater to well off golf courses and marinas. No local help at all.Finally found it after 4 hours of driving from roanoke. Was told many areas off limits to non property owners. Typical of virgina lakes. For fishing recommend Guntersville in AL.

teghan dow

Great place for family. Swimming, food, cookouts, beach volleyball and water slide. Lifeguards on duty and police patrolled. Family and friendly fun.

Emmette Bird

Great facilities and very clean.

Brandy Myers

Used to be a fun place to go now you can't spend 5 minutes without hearing the Lifeguard screaming at someone and they've got two-thirds of the swimming area shut off so everyone is packed on top of everyone

Tracey Beach

Water was comfortable and relaxing

Sue Trussell

Great family place. Hiking trails, playgrounds, beach, boat ramp, camping and interpretive center. A worthwhile stop.

Eric Berg

The lake. The views. The campground. Everything is so clean. Staff is very personable. Love this place!

Sean B.

Very nice lake. We paid the $7 for parking and the 4 per person for swimming, the water was very nice and the lake is a very attractive one.