Ben Salem Wayside — Attraction in Buena Vista

Pros: Beautiful and enjoyable place to swim, fish, and explore. Multi faceted for a great time. Picnic areas, rocky beach, and the river offers different depths and degrees of current. CONS: Tends to be overcrowded limiting the use of picnic areas. Limited parking. No signs to not fish in beach area. People will fish while your kids are swimming in the same area. The Worst: Absolutely NOT handicap accessible! No ramps or even stairs to allow the physically challenged to access the multi-tiered public access areas. Overall great place for exploring if you...

Our favorite place for a day by the water, a picnic, swimming, or trail walking. It is a popular spot in the Rockbridge area, for these activities. Picnic tables, grills, and a clean, well kept up grassy area, greet you as you easily park in one of the 3 areas close to the water. A sandy beach area near the water for the kids to get in safely or play in the sand. Fun Days...

Absolutely love this little spot. We discovered it by accident when we needed a bathroom break coming up 81 a little while ago and now it's a required stop everytime we're passing thru. Great place to let your kid splash about and stretch their legs during a long car ride plus there's a bunch of really cool rocks for people...