More than meets the eye

            It’s hard to find anything better than fun-in-the-water activities at Smith Mountain Lake.

            Swimming, water-skiing, wakeboarding, boating and fishing are among the many reasons visitors flock to SML in the summer months. Nothing is as refreshing and exciting as a dip in or ride on the clear waters of the lake – except perhaps discovering a hiking trail through the woods, cooled by the hardwood and pine forest, abundant with natural beauty and signs of reclusive wildlife. Or learning to paddle a canoe along a peaceful, pristine shoreline. Or exploring mountain stream life from the perspective of crawdads, salamanders and frogs with help from a trained naturalist.

            All of these activities and many more are available at the Smith Mountain Lake State Park in Huddleston. Whether you live here year-round or are just visiting on vacation, the park is a treasured SML landmark you’ll want to explore over and over.

            Open since 1983, the park encompasses more than 1,200 acres with fields, streams, hiking trails, campgrounds and miles of uninhabited shoreline. In addition to traditional nature trails, picnic grounds, recently upgraded campsites and cabins, and a swimming beach with a snack bar and bathhouse, the park offers boat rentals and temporary docking facilities open to the public.

            What visitors may be surprised to discover is the abundance of programs for children and adults – an average of 35 per week during the summer – offered at the park by nature interpreters Lauri Schular and Ann Jensen. Many are designed for families to enjoy together, although Schular said she sometimes observes children feigning disinterest and boredom. So how does the park staff compete with the high-tech, high-speed world to which most kids have become accustomed?

            "You give them a discovery switch," Schular explained. "You empower them, make it fun, challenging."

            One tool created specifically for this purpose is a tree guide and checklist for children to use while hiking any of the park’s 16 trails. Other topics for guides and checklists include wildflowers, amphibians and mammals.

            Schular also leads the park’s Junior Rangers Program, which is designed to encourage children 7 years and older to explore their natural surroundings. Weekly events include the "Let’s Go…." series with topics such as fishing, birding and geocaching (using a GPS system to navigate and search for hidden treasure). Schular also offers programs entitled "Building a Bird’s Nest," "Critter Keepers," "Insect Detectives" and "Classic Campfire Safety," which are all designed to pique the interest of this age group.

            Children also can stroll to the nesting site of the park’s osprey family, participate in sand castle contests or pretend to be kids from Colonial times playing games common in the 1800s.

            Jensen works primarily with the Wee Rangers (3-4 years old) and the Little Rangers (5-6). These youngsters participate in hands-on nature activities and crafts, exploring ordinary backyard wonders.

            Weekends at the park sometimes include Happenin’ Hayride, a relaxing trip along a rarely used wooded trail, often followed by a classic campfire and games at the park’s amphitheater. Once a month, Music in the Park at the beach pavilion draws visitors and families of all ages for live performances, usually bluegrass music.

            With continuing emphasis on nature education, the new Visitor Center (relocated at the park entrance and scheduled to be completed later this summer) will feature expanded informational displays about wildlife, construction of the Smith Mountain Dam and tobacco farming, according to Park Manager Brian Heft.

            "We’ll have a lot more room and are still exploring other types of displays to benefit our visitors the most," he said.

For more information or to pre-register for SML State Park programs and special events, call 540.297.6066. The park’s Web site may be accessed at dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/smi.shtml.