Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia's most popular lake, offers superb recreational activities, 500 miles of shoreline, a wide variety of water sports, and affordable lakefront real estate. SML is the "Jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains". This website includes Smith Mountain Lake vacation and relocation information.
For tourism and retirement information by regular US Mail, contact the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center at 800-676-8203 or 540-721-1203. Funded by more than 700 members, the SML Chamber is expertly staffed year-round to answer your questions about living, working, operating a business, and vacationing at Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. The Chamber operates the SML Visitor Center on the south side of Halesford Bridge.
SML vacation rentals are offered by the week, long weekend, and month -- by private homeowners and from Smith Mountain Lake vacation rental property managers. Rental rates vary by season, size of rental, and included amenities. Most are bargains when compared to similar waterfront and resort vacation rentals in the USA.
For SML vacation rentals, see:
Peak-season (June-August) rates for Smith Mountain Lake waterfront vacation rentals run from $400-$4000/week, with size and amenities (rather than geographic location) the primary determinant of cost. During peak season, you'll typically need to check in and out on a Saturday, rent for a full week, and supply your own linens.
Mid-season (4-6 weeks preceding and following summer) you can expect warm pleasant weather, fewer visitors, modest discounts from peak rates on your Smith Mountain Lake vacation rental, flexible check-in and check-out dates -- plus weekend and daily rate options.
Low-season (generally mid-October through mid-April) you can expect mild weather, very few visitors, discounts of 20%-50% on your SML vacation rental, flexible check-in and check-out dates -- plus weekend, daily, and monthly rate options.
Many SML lakefront vacation rentals include a dock; ask if you need one for your boat. Public Smith Mountain Lake boat launching ramps are usually nearby. If you can't bring your own boat, marinas rent pontoon boats for about $175/day. Most other motorboats are far more expensive -- including PWCs (Seadoo, Yamaha, etc.) and ski boats.
SML is a beautiful and friendly place to visit all-year-round. If you're visiting Smith Mountain Lake for 2 nights, a week, or longer -- check the by-owner vacation home rentals listed above. Other lodging options at Smith Mountain Lake include these options, where winter rates are lowest:
Houseboat rentals are also popular on Smith Mountain Lake. Most have a 3-day minimum and a peak-season weekly rate of $1200-$2900 (plus gas) depending on size and length of rental. Try Adventures on House Boats and Parrot Cove Boat Rentals. For youth camping, large conferences and retreats, consider the 4-H Conference Center with 440 beds and 120 acres on the waterfront. Bernard's Landing and Mariner's Landing (above) also accommodate large conferences and retreats. Smith Mountain Lake State Park offers cabin rentals (when available; book ahead) at 800-933-7275.
Why is there a gorgeous, 40-mile long, 20,600 acre lake, with 500 miles of shoreline, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of rural southwestern Virginia? Because Smith Mountain Lake was created to generate electricity, and to help manage water flows downstream and nearby. The damming of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake in a filling process that began on September 24, 1963 -- and ended almost 2.5 years later on March 7, 1966.
Smith Mountain Lake's surface covers 32 square miles. Its highest normal water level ("full pond") is 795 feet above sea level. There is typically very little seasonal variation in the water level. The daily variation for electricity production is 12-24 inches. During severe drought conditions, including 2007, lake levels have fallen by five feet. Under extreme flood control conditions, the water level could reach the top of the Smith Mountain Dam -- 802 feet above sea level. (The US Army Corps of Engineers publishes a daily water level report that is also available graphically over time.)
Surrounded by mountains, SML's deepest point is about 250 feet, near the dam itself. The "average" depth is 55 feet (see LakeLubbers, for Lake Lovers). Outside the lake's many coves, 80-150 feet is typical. Smith Mountain Lake water purity is excellent. Water temperatures invite swimming from May through September.
The west end of SML, including the town of Moneta, is closest to Roanoke Virginia (population 100,000). The east end, including the town of Huddleston, is closest to Lynchburg Virginia (population 70,000). Either Roanoke or Lynchburg is within 30-45 minutes drive time for most Smith Mountain Lake residents -- and both provide convenient "big-city" amenities like shopping malls and commercial airports.
Smith Mountain Lake is home to about 18,000 permanent residents. It covers parts of three Virginia counties: Franklin County, Bedford County, and Pittsylvania County. Average air temperatures are 73F in summer and 41F in winter. Annual rainfall averages 43 inches. Annual snowfall averages 10 inches, but the snow usually melts in a day or two.
The lake offers a wide range of housing types and real estate prices. Lakefront one-bedroom condominium resales start at $150K -- while extraordinary single-family homes, on large level lots with Smith Mountain Lake's best views, can top $2 million. With 500 miles of shoreline, you can find a first or second home in a quiet cove with just a few neighbors in sight -- or retire to a well-planned community with shared amenities that include swimming pools, boat slips and lifts, and private golf courses.
Smith Mountain Lake real estate is diverse, and the slower 2008 real estate market has produced some attractive bargains around the lake. You can find an older lakefront home on a gentle lot for less than $500K. You can spend as little as $25K for an undeveloped off-lake lot with no water access, $75K for an undeveloped off-lake lot with water access or a deeded boat slip, $250K for an undeveloped lakefront lot, $200K for an off-water single-family 3-bedroom home, $350K for a recently-constructed lakefront 2 bedroom condominium with boat lift, $600K for a lakefront home with a mountainview, $750K for a 3000-square-foot lakefront retirement home in a premium development with its own golf course -- or $2+ million for one of the lake's finest 8,000-square-foot homes.
Nearly all Smith Mountain Lake homes are built above the "100-year flood plain", 802 feet above sea level. Lakefront properties with gentle slopes from 802 feet down to "full pond", 795 feet above sea level -- plus a full view of the Smith Mountain "gap" at the dam -- generally command the highest prices.
If you're planning to buy a condo or house then offer it as a vacation rental to help pay the mortgage, be sure to first check county, subdivision, and homeowner association rules and regulations. SML "vacation rental" restrictions and prohibitions are increasing as the popularity of those vacation rentals grows.
If you want to buy or rent real estate at Smith Mountain Lake, more than 200 lake-based sales agents can help you to find the property you want. Call any of these brokers with SML offices:
The rapid pace of Smith Mountain Lake development has residents and three county governments scrambling to protect the lakefront environment and to provide new infrastructure. Hundreds of new residential housing units -- mostly condos and townhouses -- have been recently approved by supervisors of the three counties that surround Smith Mountain Lake. Many completed construction in 2007 despite the slower real estate market.
Lake water quality is threatened as new home construction eliminates natural waterfront buffers of native trees and vegetation that previously filtered lake pollutants like lawn fertilizers and pesticides. For now, Smith Mountain Lake water quality remains excellent, largely due to the vigilance of organizations like SMLA and TLAC. In 2005, all three lakefront counties passed new regulations that forbid the feeding of waterfowl within 500 feet of the lake, to help control water quality. In 2007, Franklin County began a program to enforce regular maintenance and pump-out of septic systems near the lake. And for several years, boaters have been forbidden to dump wastes of any kind into Smith Mountain Lake. SMLA has recorded and publicized water quality test results continuously since 1987 -- a database unmatched by any major lake in the USA. In 2007, 47 volunteers tested Smith Mountain Lake; many meaasurements of water quality were among the best ever recorded.
Smith Mountain Lake is Virginia's busiest recreational freshwater body for boaters, but there are no boating horsepower or speed limits on the lake. In 2006, the Virginia Assembly increased funding for enforcement of boating safety and noise laws; Virginia's Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) increased the number and visibility of patrols on Smith Mountain Lake's 20,400 acres. In 2007, the Virginia Assembly passed a law mandating safe boating education for operators that will phase in over several years. SMLA successfully lobbied for the education mandate and will continue to lobby for for nighttime boating speed limits. Speed limits failed to pass in 2007 but will be reintroduced in 2008.
Lakefront residential property taxes in all three lakefront counties are about 1/2 of 1% of fair market value, so a $500,000 property is taxed at about $2,500/year. Properties are reassessed once every four years. The latest county appraisals of lakefront homes were about 75% higher than four years ago -- following another 50% increase just four years earlier. There is no reduction of taxes for primary homes or for low-income or retired homeowners, so everyone pays the same property tax rates.
There is no local "town level" of government at Smith Mountain Lake, so the three lake-surrounding county governments face new demands for public services like traffic safety enforcement, road improvements, and trash removal, plus new infrastructure needs like public water and sewage. The lake's first public water line was laid by Bedford County in 2005; Franklin County became a partner and extended it across the county line. Bedford County began construction of sewage lines and a treatment facility in 2005; Franklin County is exploring feasibility.
The three county governments and Appalachian Power Company control lake development. Ferrum College and volunteer organizations like SMLA and TLAC monitor water quality. Some local residents and organizations want to establish an additional local level of taxation and control -- a "special tax district" or a "town of Smith Mountain Lake" spanning all three lakefront counties, to support an increase in tax-based services provided around the lake.
To better understand SML development issues, you can:
Among the many water activities at Smith Mountain Lake are power boating, canoeing, sailing, parasailing, swimming, fishing, water skiing, wakeboarding, and jet skiing. The Smith Mountain lakefront includes seven public boat launching sites and many public and private marinas.
If you enjoy fishing, you'll be pleased to know that Smith Mountain Lake stocks striped bass, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass -- and is home to blackmouth bass, crappie, catfish, and muskellunge. Walleyes, although no longer stocked, breed naturally. Smith Mountain Lake and its neighbor Leesville Lake hold two Virginia state freshwater records -- a 53 lb. striped bass and a 2 lb. 6 oz. Roanoke bass. The 2004 season's final CITGO Bassmaster Northern Open fishing tournament was held at Smith Mountain Lake. ESPN nationally broadcast the Blue Ridge Brawl Pro Tournament (a Bassmaster Elite Series Event) here in 2007, and awarded nearly $700,000 in prizes. If you plan to fish at SML, please note that a Virginia State Fishing License is required.
Off-water you'll enjoy sightseeing that includes many spectacular views of the lake's mountainous 500-mile shoreline. Five challenging golf courses surround the lake. The Smith Mountain Lake State Park includes many miles of hiking trails. The well-maintained but narrow, winding roads with no shoulders make bicycling unsafe. (Drivers: Please pay careful attention to the road ahead at all times.) Smith Mountain Lake also offers picnicking, camping, hunting, antiquing, shopping, and relaxing. Restaurants at waterfront and nearby offer everything from pizza and sandwiches to prime rib buffets and gourmet cuisine.
Most land and water activities are available at Smith Mountain Lake State Park or within a short drive ... so rent a lakeview or lakefront property, and enjoy yourself! If you visit SML with a young child, and need to rent a stroller or furniture for your baby, try The Baby Biz.
Hot Shots family entertainment center features a miniature golf course, bumper boat pool with water blasters, and a large selection of video and arcade games. Refreshments, pizza and sandwiches are also available. Summer hours: 10AM-10PM daily. 742 Camellia Place, Moneta. 540-719-1547.
Harbortown Miniature Golf Course is located over the water on the Smith Mountain Lake. Summer hours: 11AM-10PM daily. A game arcade is located nearby. Bridgewater Plaza at Halesford Bridge. 540-721-5959.
Westlake Safari Mini Golf features miniature golf with food available at the adjacent Joe's Restaurant. Summer hours: 11AM-9PM daily. 130 Scruggs Rd., Moneta. 540-721-2422.
Several churches near Smith Mountain Lake operate websites that provide details about their worship programs and services.
To view lakefront scenery and homes from the water (April-December), you can cruise the Virginia Dare, a 19th century side paddlewheeler. The 2-hour cruise, which starts near Smith Mountain Lake State Park, covers 10 miles of the easternmost shores of SML, including Smith Mountain Dam. Lunch or dinner are available onboard; there's also an inexpensive sightsee-only option. 540-297-7100.
Sailing is popular at SML, especially near the dam -- where the water is "widest" and winds are strongest. If you're not already a sailor, you can learn to sail at SML Sailing School. 540-719-0009.
The Smith Mountain Lake community supports a wide range of interests. Many of these interests are promoted by not-for-profit community organizations -- including antique boating, the arts, ballroom and square dancing, contract and duplicate bridge, fishing, gardening, piloting, quilting, Scouting, water skiing, yacht racing, and much more.
WSLK 880 is Smith Mountain Lake's only radio station; it's 880 on your AM radio dial and will let you know "what's happening" at SML, anytime during its broadcasting hours (dawn to dusk). For more upcoming events at the lake, check the SML Community Calendar from the Smith Mountain Eagle. The Smith Mountain Laker is Virginia's "Luxury Lake Lifestyle Magazine" and a great source of more information about SML. The Smith Mountain Lake News blog covers news, lifestyle issues and entertainment events at SML.
Golf is a prime attraction at Smith Mountain Lake. Two private waterfront golf courses serve residents of The Waterfront and The Water's Edge subdivisions. Three public and semi-private golf courses serve vacationers -- and Smith Mountain Lake residents who live outside those subdivisions:
The Smith Mountain Lake YMCA opened in 2008. It offers full cardio and strength training, free weights, circuit training, personal training, aerobics, aerobics classes, raquetball, indoor tennis, tennis lessons, a full gym with walking track, basketball and raquetball training clinics, a masseuse, childrens' programs, children's summer camp, a nursery, and more. If you are a member of another YMCA, you can use the Smith Mountain Lake YMCA 12 times during 12 consecutive months at no cost. For others, your first visit is free. For vacationers, memberships are available by the day, week or month; in 2008, a one-week membership for your family is $30. The Smith Mountain Lake YMCA is located in LakeWatch Plantation off Rt. 122, between Westlake and Halesford Bridge, near the Bank of Botetourt. 293 Firstwatch Dr., Moneta, Virginia. 540-721-9622.
Smith Mountain Farm & Stables offers guided horseback trail riding by appointment only. The gentle pace allows you to view Smith Mountain as you ride through open fields, woods, creeks and steep inclines. The stable is located near the southeastern corner of Smith Mountain Lake. 7661 Grassland Dr., Sandy Level, Virginia. 434-927-5199.
The Smith Mountain Lake Retail Merchants Association provides links to the rapidly growing community of retail stores at SML.
Looking for restaurants -- or America's best ice cream -- at Smith Mountain Lake? You'll find more than two dozen sit-down restaurants, plus a few that serve "fast food". Many are closed at least one day per week; call to confirm hours.
See our Smith Mountain Lake Restaurant Directory for a complete list of nearby restaurants.
We think that this small local dairy makes America's best ice cream. Their ice cream cones are large and reasonably priced. Cones are available at the dairy and at an ice cream truck (seasonal) located at the "General Store" on Rt. 616 near Rt. 122. You can also buy quarts for about $5 at the dairy, and at some local food markets (including Kroger). This is a treat that you won't want to miss when you visit Smith Mountain Lake.
Even though Smith Mountain Lake is the second largest lake in Virginia, Smith Mountain Lake State Park is not just for water enthusiasts. In addition to traditional water sports like swimming, fishing, boating, and boat launching, Smith Mountain Lake State Park guests enjoy hiking, camping, picnicking and more.
Smith Mountain Lake State Park was established in 1967; construction began in 1975. The park was opened to the public in 1983. At the park, there's a visitors' center with many interesting exhibits, including one detailing the history and folklore of Smith Mountain Lake.
There are also hiking trails, fishing (which requires a Virginia Fishing License), swimming at a 500-foot-long beach, picnic areas, 50 primitive campsites, and assorted programs such as night hikes, canoe trips and wilderness skills training. The park totals 1,506 acres with 16 miles of lakefront.
Location: Smith Mountain Lake State Park is located in Huddleston, Virginia, on the northern side of the lake, off Rt. 626 (Smith Mountain Lake Parkway). Call 540-297-6066 or 800-933-PARK.
The 37-acre Smith Mountain Lake Park opens in June 2007. Funded by Franklin County Parks & Recreation, it provides a family oriented, ADA equipped facility for fishing and family recreation. Its partly-covered fishing pier is the largest at Smith Mountain Lake, and is located in an area known for striped bass.
The Rotary Club created a playground within the park that provides equipment for children, including those of ADA families. There's also a hiking trail, picnic shelter, and limited parking. Additional park features, scheduled for completion after 2007, include a public beach, bath house, boat ramp, and a total of 100+ parking spaces.
There's no park admission fee but a Virginia Fishing License is required to fish anywhere at Smith Mountain Lake, including the park pier. Strict enforcement of fishing regulations, noise, litter, speeding, and traffic laws have been promised by VDGIF and by Franklin County Sheriff Quint Overton.
Location: Franklin County's Smith Mountain Lake Park is located in Moneta, Virginia, on the south side of the lake, off Rt. 616 (Scruggs Rd.). From Rt. 616, turn left on Rt. 949 (Bluewater Dr.), right on Saunders Farm Rd., right on Winding Waters Rd., and left on Parkway Dr.. Follow Parkway Dr. to Franklin County's Smith Mountain Lake Park.
Another popular attraction at Smith Mountain Lake is Appalachian Power Company's Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center. More than one million people have visited since its opening in May of 1967. At the Center, you can see an audio-visual presentation that shows how the dam was built. (If you have a high-speed Internet connection, you can view the presentation online.) There's also a wall mural, showing Smith Mountain Gap -- now filled with water -- before construction of the dam.
Models of the Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville dams describe the pumped storage principle. There are many more exhibits that show you how the dams produce electricity, offering an educational experience for people of all ages.
There's no admission fee for the Center. During Daylight Savings Time (including summer), it's open every day 10AM-6PM (closed on holidays). At other times of year, hours are 9AM-5PM Tuesday-Saturday (closed on Sunday, Monday, and holidays). Please call to confirm hours. Reservations can be made for group tours.
Location: Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center is located at the eastern edge of the lake, off Rt. 908 (at 2072 Ford Rd.). Follow Rt. 626 to Rt. 751, where you'll see a sign to Smith Mountain Dam Visitors Center. Call 540-985-2587 for detailed directions.
While at Smith Mountain Lake, you can also drive the Blue Ridge Parkway; an entrance is located just 26 miles north of Moneta. The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most frequently visited park in the USA's National Park System. Seventeen million visitors travel its road and enjoy the Blue Ridge Parkway every year.
Within the 470-mile-long Blue Ridge Parkway are eleven visitor centers, plus cabins, lodges, restaurants, campgrounds, picnic areas, trails, overlooks, and private facilities. Park visitors can enjoy hiking, waterfalls, beautiful nature life, including wildflowers in the spring and beautifully colored trees in the fall, cultural and historical demonstrations, photography, guided walks and tours, traditional mountain music programs, birdwatching, and bicycling.
Location, Northern Entry: From Moneta, Virginia, follow Rt. 122 north to Bedford, then Rt. 43 northwest until it intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Location, Central Entry: From Moneta, Virginia, follow Rt. 122 north toward Bedford, then Rt. 24 west until it intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Location, Southern Entry: From Moneta, Virginia, follow Rt. 122 south to Rocky Mount, then Rt. 220 north until it intersects the Blue Ridge Parkway.
While at Smith Mountain Lake, many visitors stop to see the Booker T. Washington National Monument. The monument is one of only twelve African-American history sites of the 375 National Park Service units in existence. It was constructed in June of 1957 by Presidential Proclamation. The park commemorates the life of Booker T. Washington. It's a unique experience that allows the American public to view what slavery was like and how the plantation system worked. Located on the old Burrough's plantation, it allows people to see how unkindly most slaves were treated.
Booker Taliaferro Washington was born a slave on the Burrough's tobacco plantation in 1856 and died in 1915. After being freed at age 9, he left the plantation to pursue an education. He is now remembered internationally as an educator, author, orator, college president, and spokesman for African-Americans.
The Booker T. Washington National Monument includes preserved plantation buildings -- slave quarters, a tobacco barn, a smokehouse, and a tool shop. There are also farm animals -- pigs, ducks, turkeys, geese, chickens, and cows -- for children (and their parents) to enjoy. The monument is open year-round from 9:00AM- 5:00PM, excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.
Location: Franklin County, Virginia, adjacent to Smith Mountain Lake, 12130 Booker T. Washington Hwy., Hardy, Virginia 24101. 540-721-2094.
June 6, 1944 forever changed the course of history. Yet in the United States, there was no National Memorial to D-Day ... until the summer of 2001, when the architecturally stunning National D-Day Memorial opened in nearby Bedford, Virginia.
The National D-Day Memorial Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization established to maintain a memorial complex for the nation's remembrance of D-Day. The Foundation exists to memorialize the valor, fidelity, and sacrifice of the Allied Armed Forces on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
The multi-million dollar memorial is a moving tribute to the thousands of young men who gave their lives on the beaches of Normandy France to ensure freedom and democracy worldwide. Bedford Virginia was chosen as the home for the memorial because Bedford lost the most men per capita of any United States municipality on D-Day. Take your camera, and be sure to capture the beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains -- including the Peaks of Otter -- from the grounds of the Memorial.
Location: The National D-Day Memorial is located in Bedford County, Virginia, about 30 minutes' drive north of Smith Mountain Lake. The memorial is located at the interchange of State Routes 460 Bypass and 122, in the city of Bedford, between Roanoke and Lynchburg, Virginia. 540-586-DDAY.
When you boat at Smith Mountain Lake, please be careful and courteous. The Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries is an excellent source of information about safe boating, boating laws, and public access ramps. Here are some highlights for new boaters at SML ...
If you bring your boat to SML, please first clean your boat, boat trailer, and bait box -- to prevent fouling Smith Mountain Lake with invasive weeds that you may have picked up on another body of water. Invasive weeds can quickly grow so thickly that they prevent navigation near boat ramps and in shallow coves. Don't wash your boat near the water because hitchhiking weeds or weed fragments can wash into the lake. Instead, power wash your boat and trailer at a car wash away from the lake -- there are several off-water car washes nearby. And don't forget to thoroughly clean your bait box and lures to remove all plant materials.
A detailed map of SML (like the waterproof map shown below) will help you to locate six public access boat ramps, plus one public fishing pier, on Smith Mountain Lake. You can also click on the map links below for details, but the navigation markers referenced below are visible only on printed lake maps.
Boat launches are listed in order from the most northern launch on the Roanoke River (at navigation marker R87) to the most southwestern launches on the Blackwater River (B12) and Bull Run (BR3). Here's a map of all public access launches.
If you need to gas up your boat while cruising Smith Mountain Lake, here's where to go. Call each marina first for hours, map directions, and updated gas prices.
Be sure to buy (and carefully study) your waterproof map of Smith Mountain Lake -- $8 from the Smith Mountain Lake Association (540-719-0690) -- before you go boating, or you may not be able to find all of these marinas. You can also buy the latest map (updated in 2003) from some local marinas. The map is updated every 2-3 years.
Many marinas are not open on weekdays, and just a few SML marinas are open year-round. Some marinas are open only during peak-season summer weekends. Be sure to call each marina first to confirm hours of fuel availability. Never run out of gas unless you have paddles, strong muscles, a marine radio or cell phone, lots of patience, and a tow rope aboard.
These marinas with boat gas are listed by nearest Smith Mountain Lake Marker #, starting from north to south on the Roanoke River, then up the Blackwater River and Gills Creek. Study your SML map. Most marinas offer 89 octane gas for boat use. Gas prices vary substantially by marina, and are typically 20 to 50 cents higher than off-water gas prices.
If a listed marina has closed, or an unlisted marina should be added, or marker directions are "way off", please call us to request an update at 540-721-3327. Remember that you are responsible for verifying all listed info before you go boating on Smith Mountain Lake!
Built and operated by Appalachian Power Company, Smith Mountain Lake and Dam (the "Smith Mountain Project") was first conceived in 1924. But many considered the project impractical until the pouring of concrete at Smith Mountain Gap began in June 1961. By November 1962, Virginia roads and bridges that would be affected by the lake had been rebuilt. On September 24, 1963, the Smith Mountain Dam was closed and the lake began to form. Two and one-half years later, on March 7, 1966, the 20,600-acre Smith Mountain Lake reached "full-pond" at 795 feet above sea level.
Smith Mountain Dam is 235 feet tall, 816 feet long, and 30 feet thick. Its five hydroelectric power-generating units produce 656,000 kilowatts. The first four units cost $66 million in 1964; the fifth unit cost $37 million in 1979.
The operation of Smith Mountain Dam uses two natural resources, water and coal, through a process known as pumped storage. Water from Smith Mountain Lake goes through turbine generators in the Smith Mountain Dam powerhouse and produces electricity. Instead of the "used" water rushing downstream, much of it is caught by the Leesville Dam, a smaller dam below Smith Mountain Dam. The water is then pumped back into Smith Mountain Lake and used again. Some passes through turbine generators in Leesville, making more electricity.
Since electricity demand is highest on weekdays, generation usually takes place then. Then, at low demand times -- nights, holidays, and weekends -- water is pumped from Leesville back to Smith Mountain Lake. The power to pump water comes mostly from American Electric Power via transmission lines. Since power plants work most efficiently near their full load levels, the pumped storage benefits the Smith Mountain Lake Dam power plant by keeping loads high.
If you're traveling by car, there are many ways to reach the lake. Most approaches involve challenging mountain roads that can be treacherous for the uninitiated, especially at night. Here's a route that's not the shortest possible -- but it's nearly free of bad curves. Follow I-81 toward Roanoke, then I-581 east approximately 7 miles to State Rt. 24 (I-581 Exit 6). Follow State Rt. 24 east for about 22 miles until you reach State Rt. 122. Follow State Rt. 122 southwest about 6 miles to Moneta. Moneta is just north of the only major bridge that crosses Smith Mountain Lake and offers easy access to any part of the lake.
If you enjoy driving winding mountain roads, consult a map and try approaching Moneta daytime via Rt. 43 (toughest), Rt. 116 "Windy Gap", the Blue Ridge Parkway to its Virginia Rt. 24 exit, or Rt. 634 "Hardy Road" (easiest).
For a map and driving directions, start with this interactive map: Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia -- courtesy of Google.
If you plan to arrive by private airplane, there's a general aviation airport, Smith Mountain Lake Airport (airport identifier: W91), with a 3000-foot paved runway. It's located in Bedford County on the north side of the lake, about 2 miles from Smith Mountain Lake State Park, at 1090 Cutlass Rd., Moneta. Contact: Joe Borgess, Owner/Operator. 540-297-4500.
Also check W90 (New London Airport), north of Smith Mountain Lake in Forest Virginia, near Lynchburg.
If you're not flying your own plane, three commercial airports are nearby. Roanoke Virginia Airport (ROA, 70 flights daily) is located 30-75 minutes northwest of Smith Mountain Lake. The smaller Lynchburg Virginia Airport (LYH, 18 flights daily) is located to the northeast, 30-75 minutes from the lake. The Greensboro NC Airport (GSO, aka Piedmont Triad International Airport, 76 flights daily) is located 75-120 minutes south of Smith Mountain Lake. Airport drive times vary widely because the lake itself is 40 miles long. Be sure to check airfares at all three airports.
For tourism and retirement information by regular US Mail, contact the SML Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center at 800-676-8203 or 540-721-1203.
Please also see our Smith Mountain Lake Restaurant Directory and our Smith Mountain Lake Church Directory.
This webpage was first developed by Brian Raub and Erin Raub in 1998. It is updated regularly by Smith Mountain Lake residents Brian Raub and Lisa Raub. No organization pays a fee to appear on this webpage; it is a "labor of love".
All text is Copyright © 1998-2008 Brian Raub and Raub's Internet for Business LLC. All rights reserved.
Photos are Copyright © 1998-2008 Ted Pratt, Brian Raub, and Raub's Internet for Business LLC. All rights reserved.
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