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Sherando Lake Recreation Area's Family Campground provides an ideal camping destination. It is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is known locally as the jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where visitors enjoy hiking, picnicking in the shade, fishing in the lakes, or swimming and relaxing on the sandy beach.
The 25 acre Lower Lake offers opportunities for swimming in a designated area with a sand beach, accessible ramp to the water's edge, and a beach bathhouse with changing and shower facilities. Fishing and boating are also available outside the designated swimming area of the lake. Fishing is in stocked trout waters during the spring and fall seasons. Visitors will need to have the appropriate Virginia fishing license, National Forest stamp, and trout stamp. Boats with gasoline motors are not permitted on the lower lake - electric troll motors, canoes, kayaks, or similar boats only. A hand-carry ramp is available for access to the lake adjacent to the parking area. Fishing only is available at the 7 acre Upper Lake. This lake is also stocked during the spring and fall seasons and the appropriate licenses are required. Boats are allowed, but there is no launch access - hand carry only. Parking is available at a small area below the group camp area and a walking trail will lead you to the lake. Swimming is not allowed in the upper lake. Hiking trails surround the area offering everything from a short walk around the lake on the Lakeside and Cliff Trails to a day hike up the mountain on the White Rock Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. For the more adventurous hiker, more challenging day hikes and backpacking trips are available by heading up the Blue Loop Trail to the Torry Ridge Trail to Bald Mountain and beyond.
The campground is divided into three loops: Meadow Loop (Loop C) and River Bend Loop (Loop B) have campsites with electric hookups which are suitable for larger camping units and RV's; White Oak Loop (Loop A) has non-electric campsites, suitable for tents and camping units less than 20 feet in length; the upper part of White Oak (Loop A) have first-come, first-serve sites not available for reservation.
Each campsite is equipped with a picnic table, serving table, lantern post, and campfire ring with grill. The designated tent pads are covered with a fine brown sandy gravel. Showers, flush toilets and drinking water hydrants are located in each loop. The water hydrants are not threaded for hose hook-ups. Most campsites are equipped with a food storage locker for securing your food due to bear activity. It is mandatory that all food be either stored in a food storage locker or secured in a locked vehicle. Violators are subject to a fine. You are camping in the mountains with unlevel ground. Please be prepared.
A trailer dump station is located along the main road between the entrance station and the road to the lower lake parking. A potable water station with threaded hose (to fill RV tanks) is located within the campground, opposite of the Day-Use parking area near the Williams Branch picnic area bathroom. Both the dump station and fill station are signed.
The campground sits between Lower Sherando Lake and Upper Sherando Lake at an elevation of about 1,800 feet in the shadows of Torry Ridge. The Upper Lake is 7 acres and is fed by the waters of the North Fork of Back Creek. The Lower Lake is 25 acres and is fed by springs, the North Fork of Back Creek, and Williams Branch, so the water stays refreshingly cool all summer long.
There are opportunities for gas, groceries, and firewood at convenience stores and local vendors along the state road to Sherando Lake. Ice can be purchased at the Sherando Lake Visitor Center during operating hours, which vary seasonally. Additional supplies can be obtained in Stuarts Draft, about a 15 minute drive away.
The Blue Ridge Parkway, with its scenic overlooks and ridgetop views, is a short 3 mile drive up State Route 664 from the Sherando Lake entrance. The Wintergreen Resort offers a golf course and ski area within 10 miles of Sherando Lake. Cabin rentals are available near Sherando Lake from local private vendors.
From I-64, take Exit 96 just east of Stuarts Draft. Go south on State Route 624, which becomes State Route 664 at Lyndhurst. Continue south on State Route 664 approximately 8 miles to the entrance to the Sherando Lake Recreation Area on the right. The gatehouse is approximately 0.5 miles ahead. If the gatehouse is closed, continue through the recreation area to your assigned campsite in either White Oak Loop (Loop A), which is the first turn to the right after passing the lower lake or Meadow Loop (Loop C), which is the last loop on the left before the playground. A campground host is available in each loop to answer questions you may have.
Great campground with a friendly, personable camp host. The shower house in loop C was very clean and functional. There is no cellular coverage with Verizon and Starlink was suspect at best.
We enjoyed our day trip. We swam and picnic lunched. A very large beach area for a park (in my experience). Clear, lovely water. Lots of shaded grassy seating within good view of the beach. And a pretty island you can swim to. Big bathrooms, no soap but apparently that's due to vandalism. The staff also very friendly. Would love to return to try out the hikes.
6 imp information to know ⬇️ (updated after a rainy day)
I encourage everyone to visit this little heaven! Super peaceful, beautiful, clean, organised area. We camp there one night, and went to the lake spent all the day between swimming and lounging in picnic area. I used the shower, was amazing.
Loop trail all around the lake is wonderful (moderate).
And those are important information to know:
1- NO credit accepted to pay the day fee ($8), and they don’t accept national park card. Just cash or check.
2- Camp bathroom has free shower too (no coins system), clean and roomy.
3- NO phone signal in all the recreation area, I read a review for site C04 it has signal = internet in case you need it.
4- No shop to buy anything, so be equipped for everything, just a gift shop it has souvenirs, and expensive. We bought 2 cups for $33 just because we forgot to bring ours with us. And the nearest gas station is not always open. (6 miles from the park ).
5- Online booking only, you can’t book on spot.
6- No sheltered picnic are (if you thinking of grilling at a rainy day)
The good, the bad, and the, well, not so good.
It is just one of those luck of the draw, or, lack of it.
The day before we are to leave to camp at Sherando Lake campground I get an email saying they were having water leak issues and there would be no water available at the beach bath house, nor, in the campgrounds.
No water...as in, none, zero, zilch.
Bathrooms and showers would be closed. No water spigots would be cut on. Pit toilets would be provided. Well, great timing. Awesome weather forecasted after enduring a heatwave with 102-104 heat indexes.
Putting on the positive face: only two night stay, can bring bottled water, can make do with pit toilet, and, bring wipes/wash with a bottle of water. Not the best, but, trade off for great forecast.
The tent site was lovely. Close to the pit toilet, but, far enough away to not be found by an odor trail, close enough to get to quickly, and, out of sight behind the bath house which was closed. Not as visually appealing as a flush toilet, but, it got the job done.
No potable water. Bottled water and the cooler sufficed.
No shower. Probably, the hardest to wink at. Though having hiked the AT, a wipe bath was not foreign and, again, got the job done. We did pack up on day two in the evening and after hiking the upper lake trail, left. We opted to forego night two since we had enjoyed the campsite, hiked both the lower and upper lake trails, enjoyed the beach and walked in the water to the island. I, also, had walked the campground we stayed in.
We basically had finished what we came to do and once home a shower was very welcoming.
The weather was pleasant; it actually was a tad cool when wet and the sun was behind the clouds.
We arrived on Sunday and it reminded me of when I first came up out of the Subway onto the streets of New York: there was a buzz of people. The parking lots were full; the picnic area, beach, lake, and shaded area in front of the beach pavilion was humming with people. There was still places to put an umbrella, or, sit in the shade; but, it was a hum of activity as people were in the water, on the beach, in the shade, and in the picnic area.
We hiked the lower lake trail which for one mile was a good way to start our stay.
The lake nestled in the mountains makes for picturesque views.
We headed back to our campsite to burn our Mighty Tote log (so, quick and easy to get a fire going), roast hotdogs, and eat watermelon.
Day two was spent at the lake. What a difference a day can make. If Sunday was New York, Monday was small town America.
Thunder rumbled close by in the later afternoon, so, we packed up our stuff at the lake and headed to the campground.
I think the threat of packing up the next morning wet if a storm came, coupled with the feeling we had finished for the day, motivated the decision to pack up and leave.
It took a while to get an unanimous vote, but, we packed up.
On the way out, we went to the Upper Sherando Lake. The sun was fully out and it was obvious with a more unobstructed view of the sky that the storm threat had passed away from the campground.
The views and atmosphere at the upper lake were awesome. We hiked the Upper Sherando Lake trail.
We then headed home.
All in all, the trip was memorable and enjoyable: less the porta potties, unavailable water, and, unavailable showers.
The luck of the draw is not always in your favor for all things.
Important - there is NO cell service!
One side of the lake is for fishing, the other has lots of picnic tables, a bath house and a sandy beach area. Perfect for family picnics.
I personally love the off season to enjoy the views in peace and quiet.
It is absolutely beautiful. Perfect backdrop for photography-
