Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 25, 1990 TAG: 9006040174
SECTION: SMITH MOUNTAIN TIMES PAGE: SMT-6 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The beach will open for its second season on Saturday.
Superintendent Bryan K. Anderson said overcrowding on the beach last year strained the facility, the environment, concession workers and lifeguards. Cars overflowed parking lots onto grassy areas, killing plants and making ruts in the soil.
When the beach reaches capacity this summer, visitors will be diverted to another area of the park or turned away.
"You had so many people down here on weekends that there was a problem with traffic congestion and pedestrian safety," Anderson said. "We were getting a basic overkill of visitors to the beach on Saturdays and Sunday."
During weekdays, the beach was used normally to about half of its capacity. The park this year will waive its normal $1.50 parking fee on Wednesday to encourage weekday use.
Anderson said that one day last year 1,000 cars came into the park, headed for the beach. He said as many as 400 cars parked in an area near the 250-car capacity parking lot.
He said there are no plans to build more parking space because the park is designed to provide a balance of recreational opportunities, such as swimming, hiking and canoeing.
The park's visitors center also displays the history of Franklin and Bedford counties as well as presenting exhibits on wildlife.
The Department of Conservation and Recreation is concerned about preserving the wooded areas and wildlife in the park. "We don't want to mow the land and pave it over for recreation," Anderson said. "We want to provide a balance of recreation and conservation of our natural and historical resources in the park."
While the park has plans for a new bathhouse and concession complex at the beach, Anderson said, there are no plans to expand the capacity.
"The plans are to provide the best facilities for the number of people we serve," he said.
Anderson hopes the park will never become just another commercial venture on the lake. "There may be a time when this state park may be the only wooded area you can see along the shoreline."
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on May 26, 1990.\ Clarifications
The number of sunbathers at Smith Mountain Lake State Park beach will be limited to 1,000 at a time. Park officials say there will be room for several thousand people to come and go during the course of busy weekend days. The limit on beach users was the subject of an article in Friday's editions.
Memo: CORRECTION