Campground change of operating hours: Campground A will close Labor Day, Sept. 2. Due to anticipated improvements to Campgrounds B and C, Campground B (including the Yurts) will close Oct. 1 and Campground C will close Nov. 1, through the 2025 season. Campground D will remain open until December 2 and will be closed for the winter until March 7, 2025.
The park is open daily from 6 a.m. – 10 p.m.
The Visitor Center is open daily 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Gift Shop at the Water's Edge Meeting Facility is open weekends, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Gas Dock at the Marina is open weekends, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., through Oct.
Boat rentals are privately owned and are available weekends or by appointment. Visit Claytor Lake Water Sports and Mountain 2 Island.
Overnight facilities are open for reservations.
Ranger-led and self-guided programs are available, stop by the contact station for information or check the listings here.
Please review the Virginia State Parks Know Before You Go information before you visit.
Ideal for swimming, camping, hiking and picnicking, Claytor Lake is known for sport fishing and boating. The park has a full-service marina with docking slips, supplies, fuel, boat rentals and refreshments.
The Water's Edge Meeting Facility is perfect for weddings, receptions and reunions, and wedding packages are available.
Three lodges and 15 cabins overlook the 4,500-acre lake, offering visitors a scenic retreat.
The historic Howe House has interactive exhibits describing the ecology of the lake and the surrounding areas.
Guests can also rent bikes and enjoy a universally accessible fishing pier, picnic shelters, a seasonal snack bar and playgrounds. There are also two gift shops.
From I-81, take Exit 101 (Claytor Lake) to State Park Road (State Route 660). State Park Road ends at the park's entrance.
Its address is 6620 Ben H. Bolen Drive, Dublin, VA 24084; Latitude, 37.057372. Longitude, -80.627394.
Drive Time: Northern Virginia, 5 hours; Richmond, 4 hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach, 5 hours; Roanoke, 1 hour
472 acres. Lake size, 4,500 acres; 21 miles long. The park has approximately four miles of lake frontage.
Cabins, lodges, yurts, camping lodge (bunkhouse) and camping. For information on the availability of overnight accommodations, particular park amenities or to make a reservation, you can reserve online or call 800-933-PARK (7275). See park fees. See details on reservation cancellation and transfer policies for cabins and lodges. See below for such information regarding campsites. A fee is charged per pet per night for cabin stays. Also, camping is not allowed in the cabin and lodge area and there are no bed rentals.
During prime season, a day of guarded beach swimming per night's stay is free to overnight guests. (Parks will not refund rental fees should guarded swimming be unavailable.) Read more about swimming in the park's Recreation section.
Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Only overnight guests are allowed in the park after 10 p.m. Visitors are charged the daily parking and swimming fees; visitors must park in the area designated by the park.
Open fires are prohibited from Feb. 15 through April 30 from midnight to 4 p.m. View details here.
View 360° virtual tours of accommodations at the park:
Visit a Flickr photoset of typical cabins and lodges at the park. Cabins and lodges vary; any given dwelling may not match what's shown in the photos.
Note: Because mooring space is limited, boats that can't be tied to the dock must be removed from the water. No more than two boats per lodge are allowed to be moored at the dock from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Cabins
Cabins 1-12: Two-bedroom, one bathroom, water view; cabins 1, 6 and 7 are universally accessible.
Maximum occupancy: six
Minimum stay
Check-In/Out
Cabin Furnishing and Amenities
Cabins 13, 17 and 18: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom, wood-framed cabin with a water view; cabin 13 is universally accessible with ADA-compliant fishing access.
Maximum occupancy: eight
Minimum stay
Check-In/Out
Cabin Furnishing and Amenities
Lodges
Lodges 14, 15 and 16: six-bedroom, three-bathroom, water view; universally accessible.
Maximum occupancy: 16
Minimum stay (depending on demand)
Check-In/Out
Lodge Furnishing and Amenities
Yurts
Recreational yurts are a modern adaptation of an ancient nomadic shelter. Functionally speaking, they’re a cross between a tent and a cabin. Claytor Lake has four yurts, which are located in Campground B.
Reservations are required. The rental season is April 1- Oct. 31. Cabin rental and cancellation policies apply.
Camping is not allowed in the yurt area, only on designated campsites
Maximum occupancy: four, sleeps three.
Minimum stay
Check-In/Out
Yurt Furnishing and Amenities
Bunkhouse
The park has one camping lodge (bunkhouse) for rent. It is in Campground A. The camping lodge has a covered front porch and a small deck behind it.
Reservations are required. The rental season is only during camping season for Campground A (the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day). The transfer deadline and cancellation and pet fees are the same as those for cabins.
Maximum occupancy: 14
Minimum stay
Check-In/Out
Bunkhouse Furnishing and Amenities
Total sites of each type: 2-bedroom cinderblock waterview, 12. 3-bedroom wood-frame waterview, 1. 6-bedroom wood-frame lodge, 3.
2-bedroom cinderblock waterview – two bedrooms, one bathroom, typically sleeps up to four (one full-size bed, two twin-size beds). Maximum occupancy is six.
3-bedroom wood-frame waterview – three bedrooms, two bathrooms, sleeps up to eight, one queen bed, two twin beds in the second bedroom, two sets of bunk beds (room sleeps four) in the third bedroom.
6-bedroom wood-frame lodge – six bedrooms, three bathrooms, sleeps up to 16, universally accessible, two queen-size beds in two bedrooms, two single beds in two bedrooms, two sets of bunk beds each in two bedrooms (sleeps four in each room).
Camping lodge (one) - bunkhouse
Camping
Visit this page for details on reservation cancellation and transfer policies. Some campsites may be specifically reserved and others are first-come, first-served.
All sites are site-specific and clicking on the site number brings up photos of each site. The campground is open from the last Friday in March through the first Monday in December. Check-in is 4 p.m. and check-out is 1 p.m. While sites cannot be guaranteed before 4 p.m., they are often available, so campers are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy the park if the site isn't available.
Total sites of each type: STD, 64; E/W, 39
Total campsites: 103
Group campsite - Standard tent site; no hookups, tents only. Maximum of 35 people, 10 tents and 10 vehicles. Gravel picnic pad, two pedestal grills, a campfire fire ring with a metal grill, six picnic tables, and two lantern hangers. Group site area is 125 feet by 60 feet.
The park has six trails - a total of 7 miles of easy-rating hike or bike trails - open year-round. The plant life is predominantly representative of a mature oak-hickory-poplar forest. Extensive reforestation is ongoing. White-tailed deer, various birds, raccoons, squirrels and other species are common.
Within the trail system lies a 5K cross-country trail designed by Boy Scout troop 244. The trail starts on Lakeview Trail in front of the Water's Edge Meeting Facility and ends in front of the lodges. It's great for seasoned and novice runners. Those interested in hosting a 5K at the park should contact the park office.
The park's Shady Ridge Trail, a .66-mile self-guided interpretive loop trail, is part of TRACK Trail Adventures, a program that uses brochures to help kids explore nature. A different story unfolds with each page of the brochure.
Between the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day, guarded beach swimming is available for a fee. The swimming area has a snack bar and gift shop. Operating hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Weather and other issues may sometimes force the suspension of guarded swimming. When guarded swimming is unavailable, guests may swim at the beach's designated area. Swimming elsewhere in the park is not advised. Click here for park fees. From the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, operating hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. A possible shortage of lifeguards before mid-June and after mid-August may result in unguarded swimming. Call the park for details. Pets are not allowed on the beach at the swimming area.
Motorboats permitted. Except for the beach and cabin area, fishing is permitted from the shoreline throughout the park. Bass, catfish, muskie, walleye and striped bass are among the popular sport fish found in the lake. A valid Virginia freshwater fishing license is required. Licenses may be purchased at the Water's Edge gift shop when it's open or at the park office during the off-season.
The park and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources recently installed various fish attractors to improve fishing for both shoreline and boating anglers. Click here for a map showing locations. Download the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources biologist's report.
The park offers boat slip rental, a launch ramp (no charge to overnight guests), gasoline sales, fishing supplies and licenses, and a gift shop. Long-term boat slips are available by calling the park at 540-643-2500. Two overnight dock rentals are available at A Dock, the dock to the launch ramp's right. You can reserve online or call 800-933-PARK (7275). Boats longer than 24 feet cannot be accommodated. Check-in is 4 p.m., and check-out is at 3 p.m. Rental of the boat slip includes a park/launch pass for 1 vehicle. There's a 14-night maximum stay limit. Camping cancellation/early departure policies apply to overnight dock rentals.
Also located within the park is the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) launch ramp. This ramp is located at 4555 Bear Dr., Dublin, VA 24084. Since this is not state park property, we do not collect a daily parking/launch fee.
Claytor Lake Water Sports at the marina offers various pontoons, motorboats, canoes and kayaks and can handle all your boat rental needs. Call 540-731-8683 or visit its website for details or to make reservations.
Also, at the marina, Mountain 2 Island Paddleboard Company offers paddleboard rental, gear and lessons. It also will deliver motorboats to guests' docks. Call 540-980-1488 or visit its website for details and reservations.
Claytor Lake sometimes is lowered each year in November for maintenance. It takes about two weeks. Launching from the boat launch may be impossible during this time, and fishing from the shoreline is difficult. Those with larger boats should use the public boat launch on Bear Drive. Please contact the Park Office for additional details or visit http://claytorhydro.com/.
Annual parking-launching passports are available by calling 1-800-933-PARK.
Attention: Clean plant debris, insects and mollusks (snails) from your boat and accessories before arriving at the park. Invasive species harm the lake's native species. Your vigilance ensures a quality fishing and recreational experience for you and future park guests.
None at this park, but horse rental is available at New River Trail State Park, about 30 minutes away.
Click here for the park's trail guide.
Download (external link for use with Avenza App) the geo-referenced map