Overview
The Lake Country of southern Central Virginia surrounds the John H. Kerr Reservoir, colloquially known as "Buggs Island Lake" in Virginia and "Kerr Lake" in North Carolina. It is a large reservoir on the Roanoke River with swimming, fishing, boating, camping, and vacation rentals.
3 sights · 2 things to do
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Lake Country
The downtown area of Clarksville
designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places because of its numerous buildings of the 18th-, 19th-, and early 20th-century architecture.
The Boydton Historic District
A national historic district with more than 200 buildings and sites.
Colonial Theatre
A historic movie theater built in 1925.
Occoneechee State Park
It has cabins, yurts, equestrian and primitive campsites, hiking trails, a splash park, and a marina with fueling facility.
The Virginia Lake Festival
The town often attracts approximately 80,000 visitors during this three-day event that offers hot air balloons, arts and crafts, live entertainment including music and dancing, local and ethnic food, the traditional ‘Gat…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov. Summer highs reach about 91°F; winter lows dip to about 32°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Sep and Jul. (climate data from nearby Research Triangle)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- RDU Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Raleigh/Durham — 53 mi away (major hub). Directions
- LYH Lynchburg Regional Airport - Preston Glenn Field, Lynchburg — 60 mi away. Directions
US-58 runs north of the eastern portion of the lake, crossing it at Clarksville, allowing access from the east and west. US-15 and VA-49 also cross the lake at Clarksville, offering access from Durham and points west in central North Carolina. I-85 and US-1 run southeast of the lake for travelers headed in from the Raleigh-Durham and Richmond metro areas. US-158 runs to south of the lake and its easterly neighbor Lake Gaston, providing an alternate route to points east and west through North Carolina.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning The downtown area of Clarksville, The Boydton Historic District, Colonial Theatre
- Afternoon Occoneechee State Park, The Virginia Lake Festival
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Understand
Buggs Island Lake was created by the construction of the John H. Kerr Dam between 1947 and 1952. Numerous parks can be found on the lake, administered by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, the Virginia State Park system, and the North Carolina State Park System.
The town of Clarksville, at the western end of the lake, has the area's most shops and services.
Get in
By car
US-58 runs north of the eastern portion of the lake, crossing it at Clarksville, allowing access from the east and west. US-15 and VA-49 also cross the lake at Clarksville, offering access from Durham and points west in central North Carolina. I-85 and US-1 run southeast of the lake for travelers headed in from the Raleigh-Durham and Richmond metro areas. US-158 runs to south of the lake and its easterly neighbor Lake Gaston, providing an alternate route to points east and west through North Carolina.
By bus
Buggs Island Lake is not easily accessible by bus, though Greyhound offers service to nearby South Hill, Virginia and Henderson, North Carolina.
Get around
By car
By boat
See
See The downtown area of Clarksville
designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places because of its numerous buildings of the 18th-, 19th-, and early 20th-century architecture.
See The Boydton Historic District
A national historic district with more than 200 buildings and sites.
Do
Do The Virginia Lake Festival (Lakefest)
The town often attracts approximately 80,000 visitors during this three-day event that offers hot air balloons, arts and crafts, live entertainment including music and dancing, local and ethnic food, the traditional ‘Gathering Of The Boats’, and a fireworks show.
- Fishing, especially for catfish and many varieties of freshwater bass including largemouth bass, striped bass and crappie.
Sleep
Lodging
Camping
Backcountry
Go next
- Henderson (North Carolina) is a small city 15 minutes south of the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area.
Towns
- Clarksville — a small town on Buggs Island Lake. Virginia's only lakeside town. The town has shopping, dining, and lodging opportunities and two grocery stores
- Boydton Boydton is a very small town between Clarksville and South Hill. Has a Dollar General and two restaurants. Nearby gas station Triangle Grocery sells tackle
- South Hill a neighboring town about a half hour from the dam. Has a Food Lion, Walmart Supercenter, and numerous shopping and dining opportunities
Nearby
Henderson
City / town · 4 listings · 22 mi away
Blackstone
City / town · 8 listings · 44 mi away
Wake Forest
City / town · 19 listings · 45 mi away
Crewe
City / town · 7 listings · 45 mi away
Danville
City / town · 11 listings · 46 mi away
Farmville
City / town · 18 listings · 48 mi away
Durham
City / town · 53 listings · 48 mi away
Hillsborough
City / town · 16 listings · 48 mi away
My experience
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