Sherando Lake Recreation Area
Lyndhurst, Virginia · on North Fork Back Creek · George Washington National Forest
Verified · 5 independent sources · top-verified
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $8 per vehicle
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Sherando Lake Recreation Area
Sherando Lake Recreation Area is a 25-acre spring-fed lake in Virginia's George Washington National Forest, near Lyndhurst, offering a Forest Service-designated swimming beach alongside camping, fishing, and hiking. The swim area has a sandy beach, bathhouse, and roped shallows, though no lifeguards are on duty. It is a classic mountain swimming hole for anyone looking for places to swim in the national forest.
The lake sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the George Washington National Forest, fed by North Fork Back Creek and mountain springs, with a surrounding campground, hiking trails (including the Sherando Lake Loop Trail and access from the Blue Ridge Parkway via Mills Creek and Torry Ridge trails), and an amphitheater for ranger programs.
Swimming at Sherando Lake Recreation Area
The designated swim area on the Lower Lake has a sandy beach and shallow, roped-off section for children, with a small island in the lake that stronger swimmers can reach. Visitors report water clear enough to see the sandy bottom and fish while wading, with a warm surface but noticeably colder, spring-fed depths. No lifeguards are on duty, so swimming is at one's own risk. Swimming is prohibited at the separate, smaller Upper Lake.
How to get to this swimming hole
Located off Virginia State Route 664 near Lyndhurst, accessible via I-64 Exit 96 or I-81 Exit 217; the route also connects to the Blue Ridge Parkway, from which hikers can reach the lake via the Mills Creek/Torry Ridge Trail loop (about a one-mile descent from the ridge junction).
Parking: On-site parking areas at the recreation area, including a lot near the entrance bridge; a separate Blue Ridge Parkway trailhead parking area is used by hikers descending to the lake, which one trip report described as crowded with off-road vehicles on busy days.
The hike in
The designated swim beach is drive-up, sitting right off the lower-lake day-use parking lot, so no hike is needed to reach it. Backpackers doing the Mills Creek Trail/Torry Ridge Trail loop from the Blue Ridge Parkway instead reach the lake by a roughly 1-mile descent from the ridge trail junction down to the lakeshore, per one trip report, but that's a through-hike arrival, not the normal visitor route.
The Cliff Trail (Forest Trail #429) and other forest trails begin near the recreation area for those who want a hike, but none is required to access the swim beach itself.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
The lower lake has a sandy beach with a roped-off shallow area for children, an accessible ramp into the water, and a nearby bathhouse, which makes it workable for families, but there are no lifeguards on duty, the water drops off toward a small island that only stronger swimmers should attempt, and the spring-fed lake gets notably colder at depth than its warm surface.
Parking
Paid, $8 per vehicle (up to 8 people) for day use, or $2 per person for walk-ins/bus groups
On-site day-use lot near the lower lake entrance bridge, close to the swim beach; a separate small lot serves the upper lake fishing access. Hikers descending from the Blue Ridge Parkway via the Mills Creek/Torry Ridge Trail loop use a distinct trailhead parking area about a mile above the lake, which one trip report described as crowded with vehicles on busy days.
Restrooms
Yes
Beach bathhouse with flush toilets, changing rooms, and showers right at the swim area; each of the three campground loops also has its own flush toilets and showers.
Water clarity
Clear
Independent first-hand accounts describe visibility down to the sandy lake bottom with fish visible while wading in the shallows. Being spring-fed keeps the lake clearer and colder than a typical impoundment, though a warmer surface layer develops in summer over noticeably colder depths.
Hours
USFS lists the day-use area open April 1 through December, with the campground season running early April through late October; the entrance gate is closed nightly 10 p.m.-6 a.m. (quiet hours also 10 p.m.-6 a.m.). Note: a Virginia DWR page separately lists the day-use area as open mid-May through October, so exact shoulder-season dates should be checked against current Forest Service alerts before a spring/fall visit.
On the water
Restrictions: Hand-carry (car-top) boats only on both lakes -- there is no boat launch or trailer ramp. Gasoline/combustible engines are prohibited; electric trolling motors are permitted on the lower lake. The upper lake allows hand-carry boats but swimming is prohibited there.
The no-gas-motor rule keeps the lower lake calm and quiet, which the recreation.gov and Forest Service listings both note is part of the appeal alongside the swim beach.
What regulars say
One backpacker describes the Blue Ridge Parkway trailhead access point as crowded with vehicles on busy weekends, the lake as warm on the surface but cold at depth from its mountain-stream and spring feed, and swimmers using the small central island as a destination. Visiting families add that the beach 'fills up fast' on summer weekends and recommend an early arrival to get a spot.
Sherando Lake Recreation Area: FAQ
Does Sherando Lake Recreation Area charge a fee?
Day use: $8 per vehicle (up to 8 people) or $2 per person for walk-ins/bus groups. Camping: $25 for a single site, $40 for a double site, plus a $7 electric fee; group camping $50/night; group picnic shelter $25.
Is Sherando Lake Recreation Area kid friendly?
The lower lake has a sandy beach with a roped-off shallow area for children, an accessible ramp into the water, and a nearby bathhouse, which makes it workable for families, but there are no lifeguards on duty, the water drops off toward a small island that only stronger swimmers should attempt, and the spring-fed lake gets notably colder at depth than its warm surface.
Do I need to hike to reach Sherando Lake Recreation Area?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Sherando Lake Recreation Area?
On-site day-use lot near the lower lake entrance bridge, close to the swim beach; a separate small lot serves the upper lake fishing access. Hikers descending from the Blue Ridge Parkway via the Mills Creek/Torry Ridge Trail loop use a distinct trailhead parking area about a mile above the lake, which one trip report described as crowded with vehicles on busy days.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Sherando Lake Recreation Area?
The no-gas-motor rule keeps the lower lake calm and quiet, which the recreation.gov and Forest Service listings both note is part of the appeal alongside the swim beach.
When is the best time to visit Sherando Lake Recreation Area?
Summer, with the day use area formally open mid-May through October and the campground/season running April through late October; described as busiest and best for swimming from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
What are the rules at Sherando Lake Recreation Area?
No lifeguards on duty at the swim area (swim at own risk); swimming prohibited at the Upper Lake; only hand-carried, non-motorized boats allowed on the lake; alcoholic beverages prohibited in the day use area; pets must be leashed (max 6 feet); no horses or pack animals; quiet hours 10 p.m.-6 a.m. with the entrance gate closed overnight; maximum 14-night consecutive camping stay with 2-night weekend/3-night holiday minimums.
What water body is Sherando Lake Recreation Area on?
Sherando Lake Recreation Area is on North Fork Back Creek, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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