Claytor Lake State Park:

General Information: Located on the 4,500 acre, 21-mile long Claytor Lake (from which the park was named) in the New River Valley of southwestern Virginia,  Claytor Lake State Park offers a wide variety of activities for water and land enthusiasts. Easily accessible from Interstate 81, the park offers miles of hiking trails, swimming, camping, cabins and a visitor center. The visitor center is located in the historic Howe House.

The lake and the park are named after Graham Claytor (1886-1971), who was vice president of Appalachian Power and supervised construction of the dam.

Size: 472 acres. Lake size, 4,500 acres; 21 miles long. The park has approximately three miles of lake frontage.

Parking/Admission: Click here for park fees.

Park Map: Here in PDF form is a map of the park. You'll need a copy of the free Adobe Acrobat reader to view the map.

Fishing/Boating: Motorboats permitted. Bass, catfish, muskie, walleye and striped bass are among the popular sport fish found in the lake. A valid Virginia fishing license is required and is available at the marina when it is open or the park office during the off-season.

Each year in November, the lake is drawn down approximately five feet for maintenance. During this period, usually two weeks, it may be impossible to launch boats from the Claytor Lake boat launch, and fishing from the shore is difficult. There is a public boat launch just outside the park from which guests may be able to launch  unless they have particularly large boats. The lake level will return to normal over time depending on rain.

Swimming: From Memorial Day through Labor Day, lake swimming is available from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. (Hours are somewhat shorter when local schools are in session in early June and late August.) The swimming season begins the weekend prior to Memorial Day weekend and runs daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The area features a swimming beach with diving tower, snack bar, and souvenir and gift shop.

Trails: About three miles of hiking trails are open year-round. Plant life is predominantly representative of a mature oak-hickory forest. Extensive reforestation is ongoing. White-tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels and other species are common.

Picnicking: Picnic areas include grills, drinking water and restroom facilities. Several restrooms and shelters are handicap accessible. Seven picnic shelters are available for rent through the reservation center by calling 1-800-933-7275. Shelter capacity varies from 30 to 100 people.

Park History: Claytor Lake was formed when Appalachian Power Company built a dam on the New River, just south of Radford, in 1939. This is the largest of the power company's 12 hydroelectric plants, with a total generating capacity of 83,000 kilowatts. In early 1944, the people of the surrounding area expressed an interest in the establishment of a state park on the new lake. The idea continued to grow and in 1946 private citizens and businesses from Pulaski, Radford and Blacksburg raised the money needed to purchase 437 acres from Appalachian Power. This land was given to the state to be developed as Claytor Lake State Park. Due to a lack of operating funds, the Radford Chamber of Commerce operated the park during the summers of 1949 and 1950. The Division of State Parks took over the operation of the park in 1951. In 1962, 35 additional acres were purchased, bringing the total acreage to 472.

For More Information:

Claytor Lake State Park, Phone: (540) 643-2500