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 Claytor Lake State Park - Dublin, VA Posted by:  Thorny1
N 37° 03.991 W 080° 37.592
17S E 533200 N 4102316
Claytor Lake State Park located in Dublin, WV was formed in 1939 when the New River was dammed to generate electric power for the region.
Waymark Code: WM4BWY
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 08/03/2008
Views: 102
(from website)
Claytor Lake and Claytor Lake State Park
Claytor Lake. [Fig. 51)] If the bottom of clear, cold, deep, 21-mile-long Claytor Lake was visible, visitors would get a glimpse of one link on the chain of history connecting white settlement along the frontier area known as southwest Virginia. The 4,475-acre impoundment of the New River lies south of Radford and east of Pulaski in Pulaski County, an easy jump from Interstate 81.
The nearby interstate and US 11 follow closely the old Wilderness Road, a footpath and wagon trail for settlers traveling south down the Shenandoah and Roanoke valleys from Pennsylvania. Thousands of years before European pioneers started streaming down the valley in the mid-1700s, the road was a well-traveled hunting and raiding route used by southern Cherokee and Catawba tribes, as well as members of the northern Iroquois Confederacy of Five Nations. A mystic German sect called the Ephrata Brethren—later to be known as Dunkards—decided the land now covered by Claytor Lake was the place they wanted to stop. When the New River was dammed to form Claytor Lake for the generating of electric power in 1939, the community known as Dunkard's Bottom was swallowed by the rising waters.
Fishing at Claytor Lake. Fishing is good but challenging in the narrow, winding waters of the lake. Claytor's steep shorelines make excellent habitat for smallmouth and spotted bass. In 1993, a 3-pound, 10-ounce spotted bass caught in the lake took the state record.
Good-sized largemouth bass come from Peak Creek, which branches off the upper river due east of Pulaski. Schools of striped bass in the 8- to 14-pound range occasionally produce a fish exceeding 20 pounds. Muskie, walleye, crappie, white bass, and catfish also bend anglers' rods at Claytor. Because there's so much water to cover, electronic fish-finding equipment can be a welcome aid.
Claytor Lake State Park. With 472 acres of mostly hardwoods and pines, Claytor Lake State Park is now the centerpiece of 21-mile-long Claytor Lake. The park is a magnet to some 300,000 people a year whose primary recreational interests are waterbased.
Actually, the park and lake can get quite crowded on summer weekends. Much of the park property, however, is woodland, so getting away from the whine of bass boats and jet skies is no difficult matter.
As sought-after as this park is on a hot summer day, winter visitors have it mostly to themselves. An occasional hiker or runner and maybe a couple reminiscing about last summer's family reunion at the park will be there to give them a smile and a nod.
The park's visitor center [Fig. 51(8)]—a handsome, old, brick home located beside Claytor Lake—is historic. Haven Howe, a prominent Pulaski County citizen and Civil War cavalryman, built the home in 1879 using logs cut and dragged from the surrounding forests and bricks kiln-dried on the site. Howe was also a master craftsman. Visitors today still admire the freestanding staircase Howe built inside the house, the hardwood moulding he designed, and the wide pine floor he laid more than 100 years ago. Howe was also an environmentalist before the word was coined. He spent a great deal of time trying to reduce or halt tailings dumped in his beloved New River by iron-ore smelting plants in the region. The hard existence of early settlers is one topic of the visitor center exhibits. New exhibits focus on the lake's fish and water quality, and the park's animal life.
In summer, a full-service marina sells bait and tackle and manages a boat launch, motorboat and rowboat rental, and boat mooring at a floating dock. Evening programs draw guests to the lakeside amphitheater, The Gazebo.
Accommodations include four campground loops varying from densely wooded to sparsely shaded, to more open sites. There are also 12 lakefront rental cabins. Reservations, especially for peak season, should be made well in advance. A family fishing tournament and lake cleanup is held in June. On Labor Day weekend, patrons of the Claytor Lake Arts and Crafts Festival stroll among canopied booths shopping for baskets, pottery, handcrafted musical instruments, and oil paintings.
Before making a trip solely to take a luncheon or dinner cruise on the Pioneer Maid, travelers should call the office. The cruise is no longer available, but the state is investigating alternatives for this once-popular attraction. The double-deck, 600-foot boat sank, and protecting the clear lake waters from its diesel fuel became an expensive undertaking for the owners.
Directions: From I-81 in Pulaski County near Dublin, take Exit 101. Go southeast 2 miles on VA 660 (State Park Road) to park.
Activities: Camping, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking, bird watching, lake cruising, interpretive programs, and, in late fall and early winter, a strictly controlled deer hunt.
Facilities: 129 campsites with picnic tables and grills in 4 campgrounds, electric and water at 43 sites, bathhouses; 12 lakefront cabins with fireplaces, electric appliances. Full-service marina with floating mooring docks, boat launch, boat rentals. Swimming beach, renovated bathhouse, diving tower, concession area. 3 hiking trails. Lakeside amphitheater.
Dates: Day use: open year-round. Campgrounds and cabins: open first weekend in May—Dec. 1. Swimming and marina: open in the summer.
Fees: A fee is charged for parking, camping, cabins, launch ramp,
swimming. Fishing is free (must have Virginia fishing license).
Closest town: Dublin, in central Pulaski County, is 3 miles to the
northwest.
For more information: Claytor Lake State Park, 4400 State Park Road, Dublin, VA 24084. Phone (540) 674-5492. Campsite or cabin reservations, phone (800) 933-PARK.
Park Type: Day Use and Overnight
Activities:
Camping, boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking, bird watching, lake cruising, interpretive programs, and, in late fall and early winter, a strictly controlled deer hunt.
Park Fees:
3$ weekdays and 4$ weekends.
Background:
The nearby interstate and US 11 follow closely the old Wilderness Road, a footpath and wagon trail for settlers traveling south down the Shenandoah and Roanoke valleys from Pennsylvania. Thousands of years before European pioneers started streaming down the valley in the mid-1700s, the road was a well-traveled hunting and raiding route used by southern Cherokee and Catawba tribes, as well as members of the northern Iroquois Confederacy of Five Nations. A mystic German sect called the Ephrata Brethren—later to be known as Dunkards—decided the land now covered by Claytor Lake was the place they wanted to stop. When the New River was dammed to form Claytor Lake for the generating of electric power in 1939, the community known as Dunkard's Bottom was swallowed by the rising waters.
Date Established?: 1939
Link to Park: [Web Link]
Additional Entrance Points: Not Listed
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