Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate: Online Guide
Private home property at the lake.
So, you are considering living on Smith Mountain Lake and you want to start finding a property that you can call home. With more than 500 miles of shoreline to choose from, there are many communities that you can pick from with a variety of price ranges all along the lake.
Today, I’d like to give you a bit of information as someone that grew up at Smith Mountain Lake and help give you some information that you can’t find on other websites.
A Brief History of Smith Mountain Lake
The lake is a fairly new lake compared to many others in the region, it was dammed in the 1960’s as Appalachian Power built Smith Mountain Dam at Smith Mountain Point, an area where the mountain range dips and creates a “V” if you will. The dam produces more than 600, 000 kilowatts of power that help provide power to regions of the Ohio Valley.
The full pond is roughly 794 feet deep and you’ll find tons of fishing, boating, and recreation in and around the lake too.
Aerial view of Smith Mountain
The lake has more than 50,000 acres covering it with more than 500 miles of shoreline and with that, nearly 40 private communities, as well as private homes ranging from just a few hundred thousand dollars to homes worth more than $25 million, encompass the lake.
Three counties surround the water that includes Bedford, Franklin, and Pittsylvania with Bedford and Franklin being the most populated and built up on the water. Nearby areas include Moneta, Westlake, and Penhook with the towns of Rocky Mount and Bedford being roughly 15 minutes drive east and west of the lake. Roanoke, the largest city is 20 to 60 minutes away depending on where you live.
Westlake, Penhook and Moneta
Westlake is the newest area of SML and it is where you will find most of the commerce. Kroger, a cinema, and various shops and restaurants blanket Westlake as it has grown up a lot over the last 35 years. Across Hales Ford Bridge you’ll find Moneta, another commerce section of the lake with a Food Lion, and a few other places to shop as well.
Westlake Corner Plaza
To the south end of the lake near the dam is Penhook, there isn’t much there, but a couple of gas stations, restaurants, and a Dollar General help provide those living in the south part of the lake some quick access to various needs.
Map of Smith Mountain Lake
Communities at SML
When it comes to communities, you’ll find a variety of older and newer ones with a mix of moderate to very high-end pricing. Most of these communities are private and offer various features such as a gold course or marina. Here are just a handful of the more popular ones.
Bayside
These are condos at the Bayside Marina part of the lake. Many of the Yacht club members live here and it’s right on the water. While they don’t have a website for the condos, they do have one for the marina.
Belview Bay
Located on the Huddleston side of the lake (Bedford side), these are affordable 1-2 bedroom condos on the lake, with pricing at or around the $100,000 mark for an efficiency unit. Many of them are used for short-term stays like Air B&B, although some full-time residents live in the condos year-round.
Smith Mountain Lake State Park
Bernards Landing
Bernards Landing is one of the first and oldest properties found at the lake but don’t let that deter you from it, these large townhomes and condos have been kept up very well with the times and offer some of the best views around the water.
There are more than 72 acres of spaced-out homes to offer that range in the $460,000 range for 2-bed, 2-bath condos.
Boardwalk
The Boardwalk community at Smith Mountain Lake is a 100-acre nautical-themed property featuring Nantucket-style cottage homes set along nearly 4 miles of shoreline. The 2000-foot boardwalk, which borders the length of the shoreline, is a community highlight giving residents a beach-meets-lake atmosphere.
The Boardwalk
Homes can easily price in the $3-4 million dollar range depending on the type of property you are looking for on the water.
Copper Cove Golf Club
Formerly called the Westlake Country Club, this golf course was designed by Russell Breeden in 1989, who has designed more than 100 courses in his lifetime. Copper Cover Golf Club is one of a handful of courses found at Smith Mountain Lake and home pricing ranges from the mid $200,000’s to $450,000.
Gangplank Point Condos
These condos are located on the Bedford side of the lake and have a waterfront alongside the shoreline. Mostly 2 and 3 bedrooms, these units range in the $285,000-$325,000 range and most have high ceiling floor plans with an upstairs and downstairs layout.
Mariners Landing Condos
Mariners Landing
Nestled in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, on the shores of Smith Mountain Lake, sits Mariners Landing, a picturesque year-round destination. Mariners Landing features a lakefront resort, country club amenities, award-winning restaurants, an inviting community, and an 18-hole championship golf course designed by the late Robert Trent Jones Sr. Homes in this neighborhood range from $300,000 to $500,000.
Stripers Landing
Stripers Landing is a small condo development on the lake and it’s been around since the 1980s. A condo at Stripers Landing offers owners and visitors one of the best values in property on beautiful Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia. If you are looking to own property or simply visit the Smith Mountain Lake area, you will find the condos here to be an excellent location in which to live, visit or begin the search for your dream home on the lake. These range in the $165,000 range.
Stripers Landing Community
The Coves at SML
The Coves is a private residential community located within the breathtaking backdrop of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia. Distinctive and intentional in its design and function, the vision that has become The Coves is the result of collaboration among dozens of talented designers, building professionals, service workers, performing artists, charities, and volunteers who are committed to our unique vision of what it means to be a great community.
The Farm
Just 10 minutes away from Westlake Corner and across from The Boardwalk community, you will find the wonderful area known as The Farm. Keeping in mind the impacts of stormwater runoff, The Farm, a green community, was designed as a low-impact development using open space throughout the community. This community truly reflects the feel of Franklin County and the rich heritage of Virginia.
The Waterfront Country Clubhouse
The Waterfront
The Waterfront Country Club is just that – a Club that provides a private experience with outstanding amenities and opportunities for social and recreational enjoyment, both inside and out, that will enhance your lifestyle to a new level. Enter a community where nature’s scenery provides an ever-changing setting for luxurious living. Homes here range from $400,000 to the millions.
The Water's Edge
Established in 1988, The Water's Edge Country Club is a private, 18-hole PGA Championship golf course designed by R.F. Loving, Jr. With 13.5 miles of the Smith Mountain Lake shoreline in Penhook, Virginia, The Water's Edge offers unparalleled mountain views, in addition to golf course visibility from the lake on 15 holes. Beyond its 36,000-square-foot clubhouse, members of all ages can enjoy a variety of amenities such as golf, tennis, swimming, fitness, boating, fishing, and horseback riding.
Vista Pointe near Smith Mountain
Vista Pointe
Vista Pointe Resort is the ideal place for families of multiple generations, to come to enjoy the beauty and amenities of Smith Mountain Lake without the hassles, overhead, and maintenance of keeping up a first-class facility themselves.
Waverly
Waverly is one of the premier neighborhoods at Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, Virginia. When you visit our neighborhood, you’ll see why we think it’s the best—the natural setting, wooded lots, lush landscaping, and, of course, spectacular views of Smith Mountain Lake. At Waverly, there are frequent social events at our beautiful Club House and pool overlooking the lake.
Waverly Community.
Smith Mountain Lake Secrets and Insights
Let me provide you with some fun facts and insights about the popular lake.
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Smith Mountain Lake encompasses over 40 miles, holds 20,000 acres of water, and is surrounded by roughly 500 miles of shoreline. The full pond is 795 feet above sea level.
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The lake was created in 1966 when engineers dammed the Blackwater and Roanoke rivers, flooding Smith Mountain Gap.
Owned and operated by American Electric Power, the dam provides hydroelectric power for mainly Ohio and other surrounding states. The dam doesn’t provide power locally to Virginia, that is a myth.
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The lake was featured prominently in the 1991 movie comedy What About Bob?, directed by Frank Oz and starring Bill Murray, Richard Dreyfuss, and Julie Hagerty. It served as the stand-in for Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
The 2012 independent film Lake Effects features Smith Mountain Lake. It's a fictional tale of a family raised on and later returning to the lake. The dramatic comedy first aired on the Hallmark Movie Channel in May 2012.
Smith Mountain Lake is a setting in "Mind Over Matter," an episode of the TV series The Outer Limits, which features actor Mark Hamill.
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Little do people know, lots of dead bodies had to be moved to make the lake. More than 1,354 bodies were removed from 74 individual cemeteries to 27 relocation sites. The exact number of bodies will never be known for often one grave was at multiple burial sites.
Not many know, but there is a second bridge that is underwater right next to Hales Ford Bridge.
Some believe there was a town underneath the lake, although that is a myth. Houses, barns, and other structures were either axed or burned and the only thing left structure-wise are chimneys from homes that once stood. There are, however, a large number of trees that were still standing when the lake was filled up in the 1960s.
Hales Ford Bridge and the old Hales Ford Bridge that is currently under water at the lake.
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Back in 2011, “Laker Weekly” said that Sissy Spacek, Joe Montana, and Tom Cruise all had homes around the lake. Although these were just rumors and nothing was ever confirmed. It is possible, however, as many areas of the lake have a lot of private acreages.
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205 Silver Tee, Penhook, VA.
Smith Mountain Lake is one of Virginia’s most visited attractions, and this $9.995 million custom home, right on the water, is the perfect retreat to enjoy it. The estate includes a theater room, swimming pool, boat dock, guest suite, and much more.
In 2023, however, the last listing for the home was $6.4 million dollars.
205 Silver Tee in Penhook is the lakes most expensive home for sale at $6.4 million dollars.
