Lake Arrowhead
Luray, Virginia · on Lake Arrowhead
Verified · 4 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $3
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Lake Arrowhead
Lake Arrowhead is a 39-acre impoundment lake within a roughly 120-134-acre park owned and operated by the Town of Luray in Page County, Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park. Built in 1971 by the USDA Soil Conservation Service as a flood-control reservoir, this swimming hole now functions as a town recreation area with a designated swim beach, fishing, non-motorized boating, and a lake-loop trail, one of the easier places to swim in Page County.
The lake sits in Page Valley at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains outside Luray, Virginia, and is visible from several west-facing overlooks within nearby Shenandoah National Park. The park surrounding the lake includes picnic shelters, a ballfield, playground, and a roughly 1 to 1.4-mile trail that circles the water on mostly dirt and gravel path.
Swimming at Lake Arrowhead
Swimming is confined to a designated sand beach area at the park (fee-based, seasonal), rather than the open lake generally; the Town of Luray's own park page states swimming in the lake itself is not allowed, while its tourism and local-attractions pages describe the sand beach as open for swimming in summer. The lake itself has relatively clear water, a maximum depth of 43 feet, and gradually sloping banks, suiting families using the supervised beach area more than open-water swimming.
How to get to this swimming hole
The park is located at 265 Lake Arrowhead Road, Luray, Virginia; parking is at the end of the paved road in the recreation area near an information kiosk.
Parking: Paved parking lot at the end of Lake Arrowhead Road, with room for roughly a dozen or more vehicles; the Town of Luray restricts parking to designated areas only.
The hike in
Lake Arrowhead Nature Trail (optional lake-loop trail)
- Time on foot
- roughly 30-45 minutes to walk the full 1.4-mile loop; the beach itself is a 1-2 minute walk from parking
Difficulty: easy overall, with one steep/rocky section and exposed tree roots around the 0.4-mile mark flagged by caution signage
Trailhead: Starts from the main paved parking lot at the end of Lake Arrowhead Road, near the park's information kiosk.
No hike is needed to reach the swim beach, which sits directly off the main parking lot. A separate, optional 1.4-mile dirt/gravel loop trail (112 ft elevation gain) circles the full lake perimeter for those who want to walk it, but it is not on the way to or required for the swimming area.
Distance/difficulty figures for the loop trail are from a first-hand hiking account (gohikevirginia.com); this trail is a bonus lake-circling walk, not an approach route to the water.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Sand beach with gradual sloping banks and a nearby playground suit families, but swimming is confined to the designated fee-based beach (the open 39-acre, up-to-43-ft-deep lake is off-limits per the Town of Luray's own park page), and no source could confirm on-duty lifeguards, so adults should supervise closely and keep kids within the marked beach area.
Parking
Free
Paved lot at the end of Lake Arrowhead Road (265 Lake Arrowhead Road, Luray) holding roughly a dozen or more vehicles; Town of Luray restricts parking to designated areas only (no parking on grass). Beach admission itself carries a fee ($3 ages 3-12 / $5 ages 13+) but no separate parking fee is mentioned in any source.
Restrooms
Yes
Handicap-accessible restrooms on site, per Virginia DWR's waterbody page for Arrowhead Lake; exact building location not specified but is within the recreation area near the beach/parking.
Water clarity
Clear
Virginia DWR describes the lake as having 'relatively clear water,' adding that it 'can become quite clear so anglers should use baits/tactics to match the conditions' -- an angling-focused note but consistent with generally clear water.
Hours
Park hours: March 1-Oct 31, 6am-9pm; Nov 1-Feb 28, 6am-7pm (swim beach itself only staffed/open seasonally in summer).
On the water
Restrictions: Gas-powered boat motors are prohibited lake-wide; only electric trolling motors, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards are permitted. A Town of Luray boating permit is required for all boats. There is a concrete boat ramp with courtesy dock. Swimming (as opposed to boating) is restricted to the designated beach only.
Boating/paddling happens on the open lake; the swim beach is a separate, roped-off area.
Rentals nearby
Canoe and kayak rentals by the hour; paddleboards can be launched at no charge if you bring your own
Prices: $10/hour for canoe or kayak rental
At the lake itself, within Lake Arrowhead Recreation Park, 265 Lake Arrowhead Road, Luray, VA · Matches park hours (Mar 1-Oct 31, 6am-9pm; Nov 1-Feb 28, 6am-7pm), though actual rental-stand staffing is likely limited to the summer season
Backstory
The lake was constructed in 1971 by the USDA Soil Conservation Service as a flood-control impoundment; it is owned by the Town of Luray, with the fishery managed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Lake Arrowhead: FAQ
Does Lake Arrowhead charge a fee?
Beach swimming fee reported as $3 for ages 3-12 and $5 for ages 13+; picnic shelter rentals range $35-$65 depending on shelter and residency status; fishing requires a Virginia freshwater fishing license plus a Town of Luray fishing permit for ages 16+.
Is Lake Arrowhead kid friendly?
Sand beach with gradual sloping banks and a nearby playground suit families, but swimming is confined to the designated fee-based beach (the open 39-acre, up-to-43-ft-deep lake is off-limits per the Town of Luray's own park page), and no source could confirm on-duty lifeguards, so adults should supervise closely and keep kids within the marked beach area.
Do I need to hike to reach Lake Arrowhead?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Lake Arrowhead?
Paved lot at the end of Lake Arrowhead Road (265 Lake Arrowhead Road, Luray) holding roughly a dozen or more vehicles; Town of Luray restricts parking to designated areas only (no parking on grass). Beach admission itself carries a fee ($3 ages 3-12 / $5 ages 13+) but no separate parking fee is mentioned in any source.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Lake Arrowhead?
Boating/paddling happens on the open lake; the swim beach is a separate, roped-off area.
When is the best time to visit Lake Arrowhead?
Summer, when the swim beach is seasonally open; park hours run March 1-Oct 31, 6am-9pm and Nov 1-Feb 28, 6am-7pm.
What are the rules at Lake Arrowhead?
No alcohol permitted; pets must be leashed and are not allowed on the beach; pop-up tents/canopies and outside grills/griddles/fryers are prohibited; boating limited to non-gas-powered craft (electric motors, canoes, kayaks, paddleboards); the Town's park page states swimming is not allowed in the open lake, with swimming confined to the designated beach area.
What water body is Lake Arrowhead on?
Lake Arrowhead is on Lake Arrowhead, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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