Smith Mountain Lake Dam Vistors Center — Attraction in Gretna

We never get tired of visiting the SML Visitor's Center and Dam. It has beautiful views and interesting story of the beautiful lakes. The Visitor's Center has a short informational video that tells the story of the dam's history. There are also many pictures and signs that provide interesting information. Children would enjoy a few of the interactive lessons, including a topographical map of the entire lake. Outside there are ramps (quite steep) that lead up a gorgeous trail overlooking the dam. You can view both sides of the dam and see equipment used to build the dam. As you leave the Visitor's Center, there is a large picnic area with plenty of tables (some covered). Once we show our company the view of the dam from the water, we also take them to see the other side. Simply...

For heavens sake don’t take Silver Dollar road like Google Maps says. It’s 2.5 miles of washed out single lane dirt road that has almost no place to pass another car (if someone else was foolish enought to try). After 2.5 miles there’s a locked gate where you can turn around and enjoy 2.5 miles of down hill 4 wheel drive one lane road. Find another mapping program and take the longer route. This one is a bad joke and if your 2 wheel drive car doesn’t have good clearance plan on replacing your muffler at a minimum and needing a very expensive tow at worst…well, unless you slide off the side of the hill (read cliff). If you like switch bacls and 4 wheeling you’ll love this road but it stops well short of the dam and...

2 warnings:

Didn't manage to get here as we went on a day the visitors center was shut. We mistakenly thought we'd still be able to enjoy the area even with the visitors center shut but word of warning when the center is shut so is the access road so you can't get up to the dam outside of visitors center hours.

Another additional warning if you're visiting from the North (coming from Bedford) Google maps will try to route you down a gated gravel road. The gate is locked! So it's not 45 minutes from Bedford it's 1.5 hrs as you gotta make a very...