The Claytor Lake State Park TRACK Trail is superimposed on the Park’s Shady Ridge Trail – a 0.7 mile long loop trail that has a short out and back section leading from the trailhead. Although initially uphill, the trail levels out and gently contours the lay of the land as it meanders through the forest. Lots of different birds can be seen and heard as they move about through the diverse canopy of oaks, maples, pines, hickory and locust. Our TRACK Trail brochures are specifically designed to be used on any of the trails found within Claytor Lake State Park. To begin your adventure, please visit the trailhead kiosk located at the beginning of the Shady Ridge Trail. The Shady Ridge trailhead is located at the northeast end of the Park, near the picnic area parking lot.
Claytor Lake State Park is located in the New River Valley of southwest Virginia. The 472 acre park has three miles of lake frontage on the 4500-acre, 21-mile long Claytor Lake… offering visitors a wide variety of activities on both land and water. Easily accessible from Interstate 81, Claytor Lake State Park offers swimming, miles of hiking trails, nature and history programs, and a visitor center located in the historic Howe House. And, with over 100 campsites, 15 cabins, 3 lodges, and a meeting facility, Claytor Lake State Park is a great place to spend several days with friends and family. The lake and the park are named after Graham Claytor (1886-1971), who was vice president of Appalachian Power and supervised construction of the dam.
Location Details
Adventures for Claytor Lake State Park
Flower Power
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Bug Out
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Animal Athletes
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Fun With Fungi
Difficulty:Directions
Longitude: -80.622737100000
From I-81:
Take Exit 101 (Claytor Lake). Head South on State Park Road (State Route 660). This road will dead-end into the entrance of Claytor Lake State Park.
Directions to the Blue Ridge Parkway:
From Claytor Lake State Park, travel south on I-81 for approximately 20 miles. Take exit 81 to merge onto I-77 South toward Charlotte, NC. Drive 17 miles to exit 14 for US-58/US-221 toward Hillsville/Galax. After 0.3 miles, turn Left onto US-221 N/US-58 E/ Carrolton Pike and continue driving for 24 miles until you reach Meadows of Dan, VA.
GPS Directions:
6620 Ben H. Bolen Drive, Dublin, VA
Latitude, 37.057372. Longitude, -80.627394.
Partners
The TRACK Trail program is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.
Claytor Lake State Park’s TRACK Trail was made possible through partnerships formed with Claytor Lake State Park and The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of State Parks.