RV Rental Smith Mountain Lake State Park, VA

With such a huge lake on its doorstep, it’s not surprising that one of the most popular pastimes here is swimming, or simply enjoying the 500-foot man-made sandy beach. Make sure to pack your swimsuit in your camper. The beach has lifeguards from Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day, and visitors are able to swim in the lake for a small fee. Outside these times, unguarded swimming is available at your own risk.

Fishing and boating are also popular. Rental boats, canoes, kayaks, and various powered boats are available in the park during the season, and available off-site during the winter. There is great fishing on Smith Mountain Lake, with a wide variety of fish to be caught. Keen anglers will be able to catch bass and catfish, along with many other species of fish. Grab the family and go enjoy a day of fishing together. A license is required to fish in the state of Virginia, and these can be purchased at various places around the park.

Smith Mountain Lake State Park has over 13 hiking routes for you to explore, ranging from easy half-mile loops to more strenuous three-mile routes. An easy hike for the whole family is the Turtle Island Trail that is just over a mile long but offers lovely views over the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. Dogs are allowed on the park but must be under control at all times.

Another relatively easy trail is Buck Run Trail, that is a 2.5 mile out and back route that also accepts dogs on a leash. This trail is classed as moderate and has an elevation change of around 242 feet. You’ll find many more trails of various difficulties in the local area when you book RV camping at Smith Mountain Lake State Park.

Camping at Smith Mountain Lake State Park is simple enough, and the campground offers a stunning location, right on the water's edge. Book RV camping at Smith Mountain Lake State Park, and enjoy all that the park has to offer.

With pull-thru sites, electric hookup, and large sites, this could be a great campground for your RV rental vacation. There are not a huge amount of facilities, but there are flushing toilets and hot showers in the restrooms. Pets are allowed at the campsite, so don't leave your furry friend at home.

With few facilities on the park, the nearest town for gas and supplies is Roanoke to the northwest. This town is just a few miles drive in your rental RV and has all the services you will need, including gas stations, shopping and places to eat.

While in Roanoke, the Virginia Museum of Transportation may be an interesting place to visit. Opened in 1963, the museum originally began as a railway museum located in the Norfolk and Western Railway freight depot. The museum now includes collections from rail, road, sea, and air across numerous different exhibits. Many will enjoy the modeling clubs exhibits, including the three different scale model railway exhibits. Definitely, a place to visit for budding engineers.

Just north in the town of Bedford is the National D-Day Memorial. The 88-acre memorial was dedicated on the 6th of June, 2001 by President George W. Bush and now receives around 60,000 visitors each year. Bedford was chosen as the location as so many soldiers from the small town were killed on D-Day, out of a total population of just 3,200. It represented the most severe D-Day loss of any American town.