Smith Mountain Lake featured in Great Places to Live Magazine

Smith Mountain Lake - Abundance In Every Way

From farmland to recreational paradise. the Smith Mountain Lake region in Virginia is some of the most beautifully transformed land/water areas in the country. If you've been to Virginia, you know the state is among the picturesque of the national treasures. Amidst all the mountainous countryside there lies a three-county community in Southwest Virginia surrounding Smith Mountain. It is located just southeast of Roanoke, Virginia and southwest of Lynchburg, Virginia.

According to Linda Nardin with the Chamber of Commerce, with the building of Smith Mountain Lake Dam, created with the waters of the Roanoke and Blackwater Rivers, operational "full pond" status was reached on March 5, 1966. What resulted was a gorgeous 40-mile long lake with 500 miles of shoreline touching the shores of Bedford, Franklin and Pittsylvania Counties.

Originally built as a hydroelectric power project by Appalachian Power Company. the lake's abundance of recreational amenities wasn't initially imagined. Many residents living there when the lake was formed look back at the modest land prices in the early years - several hundred dollars per acre for lake frontage - and some sigh with regret at the immense financial opportunity lost. Today, those same building lots now can carry price tags of up to and surpassing $1 million.

The Chamber will tell you that the finest quality of life awaits those who relocate to Smith Mountain Lake, including incredible residential opportunities, a wide range of settings, a growing business community, and "small town" atmosphere. You'll find it's close proximity to metropolitan areas is just one of the characteristics that attract young professionals, growing families and retirees to the area.

Find your choice of lake front town homes, condo communities, a single family home with great lake views, a quiet vacation retreat, a mountaintop country home, or even a piece of rich farmland. The lake is surrounded by green mountains, rolling farmland, neighborhood communities, or almost anything you desire in location.

It's no mystery why the lake has become a full-time home for many. Quite simply, there aren't many places offering a setting that combines spectacular mountains as backdrop to a beautiful lake. Add a genuinely friendly atmosphere and a moderate climate to this mix. Mingle in the ever-growing selection of restaurants, retail centers, art galleries, active civic organizations and it all adds up to an unprecedented quality of life.

Today Smith Mountain Lake is far more than a source of clean hydro-electric power. The region has surpassed its image as a summer vacation spot. It has grown into a solid year-round economic center with a great growth potential still to be explored. That certainly makes it a great place to live, and a great place to work and raise a family as well.

Natural beauty is one part of Smith Mountain Lake's attractiveness. Each season unfolds with breathtaking natural beauty unique to the area. A sprinkling of snow each winter evokes a festive Holiday spirit. Spring comes early and provides a blaze of brilliant azaleas, roadside daffodil fields, carpets of phlox and mountainsides colored with white dogwoods and red bud trees.

If you are a warm weather enthusiast, summers at Smith Mountain Lake are extraordinary with immense lakeside forests standing tall along the mountainside. The atmosphere is casual and the lifestyle inviting. Those who enjoy outdoor sports such as golf and fishing will be impressed with what they find. There are five excellent 18-hole golf courses at the lake.

Lake dwellers will tell you that nothing compares to gorgeous fall foliage at Smith Mountain Lake. Other amenities include the great fishing, which is unsurpassed in any season. Casual casters have found recreational fun with countless families capturing lifelong memories of "the big ones" caught in friendly waters.

Smith Mountain Lake also attracts professional anglers who are at the top of their game. Competitions, such as CITGO Bassmaster and the ESPN Elite, provide exciting world-class challenges for those who earn the right to compete here.

The area offers much more than natural charm. The communities surrounding Smith Mountain Lake are alive with nearly 80 civic organizations providing innumerable activities year-round. Music lovers delight in the quality of concerts provided by the Roanoke Symphony, blue grass festivals, folk, contemporary, rhythm & blues and jazz.

People flock to the lake for quality art, antiques, crafts and a wide range of shopping choices. Annual events include a business expo, national archery tournament, aquatic poker run, triathlon, fireworks displays, antique boat show, wine festival, home tour, chili festival and a spectacular winter boat parade.

The economy appears to be doing very well around the region. In fact, Vicki Gardner, the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce recently summed up the stability of Smith Mountain Lake with these words to members, "We've officially turned the half-way mark and are headed to 2009. As with each of you and your businesses, the SML Chamber is adopting and adapting to the foretold changes in our economy. All indications show that our area is weathering the 'economic storm' better than many regions across the country. While some businesses are struggling, many report 'better than expected' revenue over the past few months. Boosting the local economy with the SML Chamber's ad campaign has been the staff and board's central focus."

Those are encouraging words to hear, particularly if you are looking for a new home to retire or relocate in the the area.

For more information about the Smith Mountain Lake region, history, businesses, lodging, dining and much more, go to the SML Chamber of Commerce website: wwww.visitsmithmountainlake.com or call 800-676-8203.


This article was published in the November/December issue of Great Places to Live Magazine.
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