Swimming

Natural Chimneys Park’s Pool

Natural Chimneys Park features a fenced public swimming pool with a lifeguard on duty. The fee is $3 per person. Special hours for the Red Wing weekend are Thursday 12-6pm, and Friday/Saturday/Sunday 10am-7pm. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Other Local Swimming

Todd Lake Recreation Area

Located just a few miles away from Natural Chimneys, the Todd Lake Recreation Area features a sandy beach which borders the 7.5-acre stream-fed lake. The lake is open for swimming and boating. Boats without motors are allowed in the non-swimming area of the lake. Facilities include tables and charcoal grills in grassy shaded areas, restrooms with running water, showers, and flush toilets. Hiking trails include the four-mile Trimble Mountain Trail that begins near the entrance to the campground. A shorter hiking trail winds around the lake, following the ridge of the dam.

Sherando Lake

Sherando Lake Recreation Area is known locally as the jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Families enjoy picnicking in this shaded and woody area, while swimming and relaxing on the sandy beach of a 25 acre spring-fed lake. Access to multiple trailheads and rustic architecture provide numerous points of interest for families to enjoy.

Fishing

Augusta County, VA, is home to a total of 31 lakes, all of which are listed here. It’s also the home of Mossy Creek, Virginia’s most famous fly fishing destination. A license, issued by the State of Virginia, is required to fish and all state regulations and limits are applicable. Fishing regulations can be found here.

Elkhorn Lake is a 54-acre reservoir in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (GW&JNF), owned by the City of Staunton. This lake is managed for warm- and coldwater angling opportunities. The lake contains a quality largemouth bass fishery with good numbers of large 3-6 pound bass. Bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish support a quality panfish fishery. Channel catfish fingerlings are stocked every year to promote better catfish angling. View Map Other Augusta County Lakes, including the nearby Braley Pond, are listed here.

The closest rivers to fish are Mossy Creek, North River, South River, and St Mary’s River.

Grand Caverns

America’s oldest show cave, Grand Caverns offers a breathtaking panorama of subterranean beauty. These caverns were rated #2 in the nation by Parade magazine’s science editor on various physical aspects, such as room size, paths, and ratio of growing formations to dormant formations, as well as overall beauty. The Rainbow Room showcases the caverns with colored lights. Grand Caverns is a stately and powerful example of nature’s handiwork. Gigantic stalactites point down from above. Equally imposing stalagmites thrust upward from the caverns floor. Cathedral Hall, 280 feet long and over 70 feet high, is one of the largest rooms of any cavern in the East. Massive columns, beautiful draperies rippling flowstone, and rare “shield” formations create a variety of fascinating sights. The famous Bridal Veil, Stonewall Jackson’s Horse, and a peek at Dante’s Inferno provide memories too good to miss.