Smith Mountain Lake

WELCOME TO SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE STATE PARK. To make your visit safe and more pleasant, we ask that you observe the following: Take only pictures, leave only footprints. Park in designated areas only. Please note there is a parking fee charged year-round at all Virginia State Parks. Self-pay parking information is available at the contact station. EMERGENCY - For fire or medical emergencies, dial 911. For a law enforcement or critical maintenance issue, call 800933-7275 and select the appropriate option. For more information, visit www.virginiastateparks.gov or contact the park office. TRAIL INFORMATION DIFFICULTY SCALE EASY - From .5 to 1 mile; grades are short, typically fewer than 100 feet and less than 10 percent of the trail length; easily accomplished by all users, including the elderly and those with physical or mental disabilities, with little risk of injury or fatigue. MODERATE - From 1 to 5 miles; steepness and grade lengths vary; at least 60 percent of the length is fairly flat; healthy people can accomplish the trail with little risk of injury or fatigue. TRAIL DESCRIPTIONS Walton Creek: Burgundy Blazes, 1.30 miles, moderate - Heading out from the Visitor’s Center, this trail will get you closer to nature and Smith Mountain Lake’s shoreline. Before a hiker sees their first hint of water, they can spy an old stone chimney frozen in time. Trekkers may choose to make this rolling trail into a loop by following White Tail Path across to Striper Cove Trail, turning onto Turkey Foot, heading back to the Visitor’s Center and trail-head parking area. Staying on Walton Creek trail will take you behind the oldest foundation found within the park boundaries. Spurring off the trail at the canoe rack is an unmarked path; follow this up to State Park Road. Hikers can look to their right and see the Moody Meeting House stone foundation first built in 1790. The nearby stonewall encompasses the one-acre and thirty poles included in the 1843 deed. Back on Walton Creek trail, hikers get a great view of the lake that they may continue to enjoy by connecting to Osprey Point trail. Chestnut Ridge Trail: Red Blazes, 1.70 miles, moderate - This barbell shaped loop is a feast for the senses. Not only can you enjoy picture perfect views of Smith Mountain Lake, hikers can actually smell the changes in the forest that surrounds them. Traveling through Virginia Pines into the older hardwoods, this quiet peninsula holds many sights and sounds to be enjoyed. Special features of Chestnut Ridge trail include; a tobacco barn ruin, chew signs left by beavers, moss covered laurel thickets, and a unique view of Carter’s Island. Buck Run Tail: White Blazes, 1.74 miles, moderate - Trekking along this trail will afford you breath-taking views of our deepest cove. There are plenty of benches set on the lakeside to appreciate the view, take a break, or enjoy bird watching. Many waterfowl take advantage of the cover offered by this deep narrow cove. Both the Great Blue Heron and Green Heron hunt here as well as the Belted Kingfisher. A variety of ducks have been spotted here including immature Loons in the winter months. Buck Run Trail connects to Chestnut Ridge on one end and Beechwood trail on the other. Beechwood Trail: Brown Blazes, 0.90 mile, easy - This loop winds around the Smith Mountain Lake State Park Campground and affords you a peaceful walk engulfed by a hardwood forest, dominated by the American Beech tree. Most of this trail follows creeks meandering their way to the lake. A unique feature of this trail is the chance to glimpse into a world of days past. Peach and Alice Maxey’s old home sits atop a hill looking down on what was once their tobacco barn. Arriving at a set of twin bridges, hikers will decide whether to connect to Buck Run or to head uphill to continue the Beechwood loop around the camp-ground. If you are not a registered camping guest of the park, you will find parking across the street in the Campground Overflow Parking Lot and Campfire Amphitheater Parking Lot. White Tail Path: Dark Grey Blazes, 0.10 mile, easy - This short trail is a connector path. From Walton Creek trail you cross over State Park Road and connect to Striper Cove trail just before the boat ramp. Turkey Foot: Orange Blazes, 0.20 mile, easy - A connector path linking Buck Run trail at the intersection of Striper Cove trail to the Walton Creek trailhead at the Visitor’s Center. Tobacco Run: Cobalt Blue Blazes, 0.50 mile, easy - Starting at the Discovery Center Amphitheater this loop presents travelers some of the best vistas of Smith Mountain Lake. Named for the tobacco barn that dominates this path, the trail crosses Interpretive Trail road to access a quiet peninsula. Hikers may decide to continue their journey by connecting to either Opossum Trot Trail or Beaver Den Trail. Beaver Den: Orange Blazes, 0.40 mile, easy - Traveling between Tobacco Run and Chestnut Ridge, this connector trail can stand on its own. Following the shoreline, Beaver Den trail grants hikers unspoiled views of the Chestnut Ridge peninsula. Its moniker pays homage to the once active beaver den found here. Keep your eyes peeled, the beavers may return as the saplings grow to a harvestable size. Osprey Point Trail: Forest Green Blazes, 0.40 mile, moderate - Rock hounds will love this trail. Though short, this rock strewn path is sure to please with great views of the lake on one side and massive igneous rock formations of Moneta Gneiss bordering the other. Hikers have the pleasure of traveling back in time as they follow the path of a stone fence built in the early 1800’s. It’s easy to see where the rock was harvested to build the wall. Double blazes mark the end of this rarely used but scenic trail. Striper Cove Trail: Gold Blazes, 3.1 miles, moderate - Our most challenging trail, this undulating route is favored by both hikers and cyclists. A great way to stay in shape, this trail winds its way from Turtle Island all the way around to the Main Picnic Area. It’s not all up and down travel when on this track; Striper Cove affords magnificent views of Smith Mountain Lake as well as plenty of time surrounded by ever changing woodlands. From deciduous hardwoods, managed wildlife openings, conifer forests, the lakeshore, and even an active termite mound, there is sure to be a surprise around every corner just waiting to be explored. Turtle Island Trail: Green Blazes, 1.4 miles, moderate - By far the most popular trail in our system, this winding loop takes the hiker through the amazing story of forest succession. Interpretive signs tell how the forest changes and adapts throughout time. Halfway through the journey, you find yourself standing on the bridge to Turtle Island, named for the aerial view of this land mass resembling a turtle. As the waters backed up to create Smith Mountain Lake, many islands appeared. Feel free to stop by the wildlife blind for a quiet moment of observation. Lakeview Trail: Yellow Blazes, 0.30 mile, easy - Encircling the Discovery Center, this family friendly loop affords hikers the clearest panorama of Smith Mountain Lake’s main “S” curve. Pausing on the bridge allows everyone a privileged view of our Osprey nest platform. Visitors will find interpretive signs detailing the life of these remarkable raptors. Be sure to bring the binoculars between late March and early September when an Osprey pair is nesting here. Access to the peninsula is prohibited during nesting season. Opossum Trot: Olympic Blue Blazes, 0.40 mile, easy - This connector trail snakes around a quiet split of land. With a sandy, well-drained soil, this hillside is home to stunning wildflowers native to Virginia. Before meeting up with Tobacco Cove Trail or Turtle Island Trail, Opossum Trot drops hikers into two beautiful coves that look out onto the Franklin Community Park across the lake. Five Oaks: Fluorescent Red Blazes, 3 miles (¼ trail is accessible) easy/moderate - The first ¼ mile of this three mile trail is designated as accessible and suited well for use in a wheelchair and mobility device. The trail continues through the forest, passes by the ruins of the Five Oaks Plantation, and continues through an area of the park managed as an Oak Savannah. It continues down and around the shoreline of the lake. This loop trail passes through multiple habitable types that provide opportunities to view various species of plants, birds, and wildlife. Smith Mountain Lake State Park TRAIL GUIDE VIRGINIA STATE PARKS ARE A TONIC FOR THE MIND, BODY AND SPIRIT. Museums, visitor centers and nearby historic sites make state parks cultural treasures. The recreational opportunities in state parks are endless and easy to see – from swimming and boating to horseshoes and hiking, there’s always something to do in a Virginia State Park. 1235 State Park Rd., Huddleston, VA 24104 Phone: 540-297-6066 smlake@dcr.virginia.gov WWW.VIRGINIASTATEPARKS.GOV 800-933-PARK Smith Mountain Lake State Park Camping Area 1235 State Park Rd. Huddleston, VA 24104 | 540-297-6066 = Easy = Moderate O Point 0 . Dock Information Station Parking R-20 Vistor Center Smith Mountain Lake = Difficult ad Lak eview 0.3 Ro i. Trot 0.4 1.4 mi. m Turkey Foot 0.2 m In ig ht R o ad mi. ch w d oo Ch e s e dg i. 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