ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, August 5, 1996                 TAG: 9608060044
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-8  EDITION: METRO 

SUN AND FUN

LENGTH: Short :   22 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO:  ERIC BRADY/Staff. The sandy beach at Smith Mountain Lake
          State Park is a popular spot for sunbathing and swimming. Even so, 
          park attendance is down slightly through July. Blame it on the 
          weather, said Brian Heft, the park's manager. The camping season got
          off to a slow start when the weather proved uncooperative, Heft 
          said. And after heavy use in June, day visits began to slow in July.
          It could take a string of hot, humid August days to lure enough 
          people to the water for the park to experience record attendance. 
          Visitation through July was 140,635, down nearly 3,000 from last 
          year. color.