With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing, we’re short on guests but not on work. The only break has been a weekly trip to the grocery store. Needless to say, I started feeling a little loopy like many people in quarantine. I decided to change things up by finding places in the area that I haven’t visited yet. My first adventure was to Lovill’s Creek Lake Recreation Area.

How to Get There

Lovill’s Creek is in Cana, only 15 minutes from the campground.  You get there by taking the Blue Ridge Parkway south to Fancy Gap then going south on Highway 52 toward North Carolina. You travel about seven miles to Epworth Road and turn left. GPS will have you follow Epworth Road to state road 884. The turn for 884 appears suddenly on your left and is unmarked. Once you turn, you’ll drive past a recycling collection point, a trout-stocked stream and up a hill where you’ll see the parking area.

What You’ll Find

From where you park, the lake, which is small, is a short walk down a hill. If you bring a motorboat, canoe or kayak, you can drive down the gravel road to the launch. There is fishing allowed. Remember that you’ll need the appropriate Virginia license to fish in the lake or the stream. You can also swim in the lake. There is a pavilion with picnic tables and a small play area. There aren’t trails to explore, but you can walk through the grass from one side of the lake to the other while enjoying the view of the surrounding mountains and neighboring farmland.

If you have a dog, I can tell you that Chisum, our Belgian Malinois, found an unending supply of new smells to explore, whether they were around the lake or in the fields and woods. He had one of his first encounters with Canada Geese and was quite proud of himself for chasing them from the bank into the water. 

Lovill’s Creek Lake doesn’t offer as many things to do as some of the other recreation areas near us like Cripple Creek or Stewart’s Wildlife Management Area. It is a serene place were families can spend a lazy afternoon picnicking, throwing a ball or playing in the lake.