Virginia's Largest Artificial Lake Offers 800 Miles Of Shoreline With Sandy Beaches For Swimming

While Virginia is well-known for its ocean shoreline in Virginia Beach, it's also home to inland beaches that are perfect for swimming and spending a day lounging in the sand. Buggs Island Lake (aka John H. Kerr Dam and Reservoir) is a massive 50,000-acre freshwater lake with over 800 miles of shoreline. It's the largest lake in Virginia, perched along the border shared with North Carolina (though on that side, it's more commonly known as Kerr Lake). The waterway and its accompanying sandy beaches didn't occur naturally — the lake was created by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1950s to provide the area with hydropower and flood control.

When looking on a map, Buggs Island Lake's shoreline resembles icicles with the water branching into the land, creating short stretches of beach rather than a single, ongoing expanse. These create a variety of spots for recreation activities at a mix of public and private facilities. For swimmers, however, the well-maintained beaches and clean, safe water are the big appeal here.

Buggs Island Lake is about a two-hour drive from Richmond, Virginia, one of the cheapest and best cities to visit when you're broke. Alternatively, you can drive from Raleigh, North Carolina, in about the same amount of time. Both state capitals have well-connected international airports if you're flying in from further away.

Most of the swimming areas around Buggs Island Lake include essential amenities, including parking, paved paths, picnic tables, grills, playgrounds, and restrooms. The lake is excellent for family and group activities at more than 30 recreation areas across the two states, with spaces for camping, picnicking, fishing, and playing at outdoor playgrounds.

While most of the campgrounds come with standard amenities like restrooms, grills, picnic areas, and playgrounds, each has its own distinct draw. With 200 camping sites, North Bend Park & Campground is one of the more comfortable campgrounds and is ideal for families, with multiple small stretches of beach to choose from, along with a disc golf course and bike trails. Liberty Hill Public Beach makes a great choice for a day trip, with soft white sand for relaxing and some shade provided by trees. In addition to swimming, Liberty Hill is a birdwatcher's paradise, and its west-facing shores make it a perfect spot for watching the sunset.

Palmer Point Park is another prime day-use area and even has a stand with free life jackets for swimming novices. There aren't as many shady trees here, so sun protection is a must, along with other items for your DIY beach safety kit. Finally, Buffalo Park & Campground is a small park good for a day visit or overnight camping. Though the campground is only open from May through September, the day use area is open year-round. The picnic area in the park is arguably one of the best scenic viewpoints on the lake, as it marks a spot where the Roanoke and Dan Rivers converge. 

While a relaxing beach day appeals to plenty of outdoor enthusiasts, those who are looking for more active recreation at the lake can find boating, fishing, camping, wildlife watching, hiking, and hunting. Buggs Island Lake is best known for largemouth bass, striped bass, channel catfish, and crappie, while the surrounding 40,000 acres of accessible woods provide abundant white-tailed deer, wild turkey, northern grey squirrel, and a variety of waterfowl. A Virginia hunting and fishing license is required to fish on Buggs Island Lake.

The lake is home to a bounty of birds and animals that can be found by exploring the shoreline and nearby woods. There are also over 10 trails in the area for hiking, biking, wildlife watching, and horseback riding. The 1.2-mile Liberty Hill Nature Trail is an easy, mostly-flat stroll that offers views of the John H. Kerr dam. For something a little longer, the Robert Munford Trail takes about two hours to complete and covers 5 miles. 

To learn even more about local wildlife, including having some hands-on experiences, a stop at the Joseph S.J. Tanner II Environmental Education Center is a must. (Open weekends from April through October.) There are also plenty of other interesting attractions near the lake, including Occoneechee State Park, Prestwould Plantation, and the MacCallum More Museum and Gardens. Buggs Island Lake is also just an hour's drive from Durham, North Carolina, with a vibrant small business scene.