Update

Thursday, February 25, 2021 – The Walker Bynum Tower Loop Trail has been re-opened. We have completed the construction of a new and much improved staircase on the trail that leads from the Smith Mountain parking lot to the fire lookout tower.

Friday, February 12, 2021 – The first half of the Walker Bynum Tower Loop Trail at Smith Mountain is closed shortly past the informational kiosk. The tall staircase going up the last part of the mountain is being replaced with a much stronger, safer structure. The tower can still be accessed by walking the service road up the mountain.  The Lakeshore Trail access is reached by taking the dirt road to the right from the closure sign.  The return trail from the Tower to the Parking Lot is still open if you would like a more scenic route back . The other hiking trails remain open and accessible at the top of Smith Mountain, from the tower area. We expect the building project to take up to 2 weeks to complete, depending on weather. We will update this post when the work is complete and the trail is open.