CLAYTOR LAKE, Va. – If you have been waiting to cool off from the summer heat in a lake, your wait is over.
Virginia’s state parks, including Claytor Lake and Smith Mountain Lake, reopened their swimming areas Friday morning after COVID-19 delayed the season.
Hundreds of people made the trip to Claytor Lake’s swimming area on its first day of operation.
“We were stuck in the house and we wanted to have fun, so we came out here,” said Abi Lineberoy.
“I like the water. It’s nice," added Anthony Sowers. "You can’t really get in a tub and swim, so I wanted to come out here and swim.”
Claytor Lake State Park Assistant Manager Brody Havens said the crowd is just a warm-up for what could come this weekend.
“Tomorrow will probably be a little bit more crowded, with it being a Saturday," Havens said. "A lot of folks are off of work, and a lot of families from farther out will travel in.”
Havens said the park has made adjustments to account for social distancing. People are encouraged to stay 6 feet apart, masks must be worn in the concession stand, and visitors can not group together umbrellas or play football.
Most significantly, the swimming area is capped at 1,000 visitors at a time. Once it reaches the limit, the park will stop issuing passes until the number of people starts to drop.
“You’re more than welcome to wait around a little while or choose to use another portion of the park for a while until some of the patrons clear out," Havens said.
Havens believes the park will continue to draw summer crowds, and that the park has adequately prepared for the rush.
“We were going a little stir crazy when we didn’t have any people in the park to enjoy what we enjoy everyday," Havens said. "We’re glad to see it.”
The park will only offer swimming with lifeguards Thursday through Sunday, but Havens said they are in the process of hiring more lifeguards in order to offer this service all week.