New entrance station, other changes made to ‘better serve our park visitors’; beach closing driven by certified staffing shortage versus higher demand
By Randy Arrington
LURAY — The COVID-19 pandemic sent urban dwellers to the countryside in droves, many within a few hours drive discovering the natural beauty of the Page Valley. Cabin owners and other short-term rentals reached record-high occupancies, and remote workers began driving the housing market to historic heights as average home sales nearly doubled in just over five years.
It also drew larger crowds to local outdoor attractions and amenities.
“Ever since the pandemic has occurred…and Lake Arrowhead was ‘discovered’ by the masses in Northern Virginia and other counties outside of Page…it has become this focal point for, grab a couple van loads of your friends and just roll in there and do whatever you want to do,” Luray Town Manager Bryan Chrisman told PVN last week. “It really has made a tough situation for our citizens and our decision-makers, and our staff.”
Those “tough situations” have included altercations among park visitors, arguments with staff (including threats), disagreements over shelter rentals, and a significant number of those issues having to be settled by law enforcement — although no arrests have been recorded.
“The last several years we experienced several large groups that showed up unannounced…didn’t have a shelter reservation, and they would just start taking over other people’s shelter,” Chrisman stated. “We just don’t have unlimited resources for folks… having too many people can create a negative experience. We get calls saying ‘I’m just not going back.'”
That negative experience, according to town park officials, has driven down local attendance at the lake as tourist traffic has risen.
“The tough truth about this is that for those of us who grew up in the area…what we remember of Lake Arrowhead on the weekends for church picnics and family reunions, is not what local folks are now experiencing there on the weekends,” said Luray Parks and Recreation Superintendent Jennifer Jenkins.
In an effort “to better serve park visitors and provide a safe, enjoyable recreation experience for all park users,” several measures are being taken to better control the “upper portion” of the park. After adding more staff on the weekends last year — and plans to hire three new seasonal staff members this summer — the Town plans to construct a Welcome and Information Station at the entrance that will be open on Saturdays and Sundays. Due to the installation of increased internet access needed for security cameras at the site, the Town will now be able to process credit card payments at the entrance station for the sale of boating and fishing permits and same-day shelter rentals.
“What we’ve seen over the past three or four years is that there’s been an increase in park user numbers on the weekends, and it’s forced us to change some of our policies. Last year we did have weekend staff there, and it worked really well to answer questions and help park users in various ways. This year we’re just ahead of the game in getting those jobs posted. We’re looking at hiring three positions up there for the weekend and it’s hard when they don’t have a place for them to work out of,” Jenkins said. “[The entrance station] also provides a centralized location for park visitors to ask information or get assistance if they need it, and we hadn’t had that in the past…and given the increase in users, we need that now.”
“We’re trying to catch up with demand.”
That demand spilled over into the “lower portion” of the park as well along the popular beach and swimming area. What didn’t increase was the availability of certified lifeguards. While beaches remained full many weekends, the Town only received one lifeguard application last spring and therefore decided to post a sign warning beach-goers to “Swim at their own risk” with no lifeguard on duty. The year before the Rec Department tried to make it through the season with just four lifeguards covering three days a week, but vacations, illness and other absences played havoc with the schedule. In recent years, beach availability to the public has dwindled from seven days a week, down to five, and then down to three — Friday, Saturday and Sunday — and finally…”Swim at your own risk.”
“Once we started looking into this, we talked with our insurance carriers about our liabilities, we talked with our legal advisors on getting advice on what our exposure would be and whether or not we could do a good job… and council talked with Jen twice and asked can we do it with the resources we have,” the town manager said. “And she responded, ‘we just don’t have the resources….we can’t hire enough qualified, certified individuals to provide a safe environment.'”
In addition, not only do lifeguards at Lake Arrowhead need general lifeguard certification, they must almost attain open water, or “waterfront” certification as well. Local options for that training have disappeared, forcing the Town to potentially hire a licensing company to train staff…if they could find staff. Luray Parks and Rec would need to hire as many as 10 certified lifeguards to adequately staff the swimming area full-time at the beach for the full season, according to Jenkins.
That lead to the recent decision to close the beach at Lake Arrowhead for the 2025 season.
“We’ve been trying to find a way to avoid this, but we’re really out of options at this point and time,” said Chrisman, noting that staff and the Luray Council have been discussing the issue for at least two years. “The Town just doesn’t have the ability to do what we’d like to do.”
While signage will be in place to warn visitors to stay out of the water — including wading — lake access for boating and fishing will continue as before with no planned changes. The boat dock and ramp will be open year-round for use. Park guests may bring their own boats (electric motors only), canoes, and kayaks for private use. Users my purchase boating and fishing licenses at the following locations:
- Saturdays and Sundays (Labor Day – Oct.) — Lake Arrowhead Information Station, 265 Lake Arrowhead Rd.
- Monday – Friday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) — Town Hall, 45 E. Main St.
- Monday – Saturday (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.) — Luray-Page County Visitors Center, 18 Campbell St.
- Monday – Saturday (6 a.m. – 7 p.m.) — Fairview Grocery, 101 S. Antioch Rd.
Pop-ups tents, canopies, overhead tarps, and other temporary shelters/shades are not allowed on park property.
“Wind gusts result in these structures presenting significance dangers to people and property. Likewise, private/outside grills, smokers, fryers, and other fire/high-heat cooking appliances are not permitted,” states material provided by the Town. “Additional grills have been provided for the 2025 season. All shelters and day-use picnic sites have dedicated grills for use by shelter reservation holders only. Day-use picnic shelters are free for Town of Luray residents and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Cooking fires are only permitted within Town-provided grills and must be fully extinguished prior to shelter checkout. Campfires are not allowed.”
Lake Arrowhead opened for its first “beach summer” in 1987. Then-Town Manager Jerry Schiro reported “500 to 600 people a day flocking to the facility on weekends.” While the recreational facility remains just as popular nearly four decades later, the costs have recently been level with (or exceeded) revenues, according to Chrisman.
The Town Manager says swimming could return to Lake Arrowhead one day, but a lot would have to go right for the Town.
“Maybe…a lot of things would have to change,” he said. “We would have to be able to hire qualified, dependable people in enough numbers …and keep them available.”
Annual events, such as PACA’s Polar Plunge and Cardboard Boat Regatta, the SwimFest and the Luray Triathlon, will continue to take place at Lake Arrowhead, according to Jenkins.
Currently, there are no immediate plans to charge a fee to enter the park.
“It’s not about making extra money, it’s about providing a good experience and a safe environment. It’s not a decision anyone wanted to make,” said Chrisman, noting that higher demand and staffing shortages drove current decisions for this season.
“We’re trying to get back to what Lake Arrowhead used to be and what our locals used to enjoy,” the town manager said. “Our community groups, our church groups and family reunions, those people really enjoy those facilities, so we’re trying to get a better grip on controlling those things that detract from the experience that everyone expects when they go to Lake Arrowhead.”
For more information on Lake Arrowhead, CLICK HERE.
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1. Charge an entrance fee for all non-residents of Luray.
2. For Luray residents, issue a sticker for windshields annually available for pick up at the town office. Prove residence by a piece of mail or verify tax information.
3. For other Page County residents, charge a $5 annual fee.
4. For non Page County and non Luray residents, charge a daily use fee of $5 per person or $10 a vehicle. This fee can be waived for the person/vehicle that rents any shelters.
5. For non Page County and non Luray residents, charge $75 annual pass per vehicle.
This plan achieves 3 things. It provides a revenue stream for the town. It provides free/discounted and fair use for Luray and Page County residents. It deters the riff raff from northern Virginia.
Your ideas make perfect sense to me. Charge enough to cover the cost to the county, and to deter the “van-loads” of potential mischief-makers. To counter abusive behavior, post a deputy on site? Offer classes for potential lifeguards, publicize well, offer incentives. (If not higher pay, perhaps generous discounts at businesses in town, if they show ID’s?) Lake Arrowhead has been a gift to Luray and surrounding counties for decades. Our family has so many wonderful memories of days at the Lake. There must be a way to solve this problem without closing.
2 council members voted against this, not unanimous at all
Sherando Lake in Augusta county charges per car or a year pass and it works…they have no life guards either…no shelters only grills scattered throughout the area. It’s a shame it’s come down to this…we’ve been having our family reunion here since the park opened and I was swimming in lake arrowhead before it was open to the public. A handful of people are ruining it for everyone else.
I am curious about lifeguard situation. How does the Stanley pool recruit their lifeguards? I am assuming they have them. Where are they coming from?
Curious . . . Where does the Stanley swimming pool find its lifeguards?
Stanley has trouble hiring a full slate every year, and it’s actually easier than Luray because the Stanley one’s don’t require a shoreline certification. Much more effort for kids to get that cert, which is required for large murky bodies as compared to a small clear pool…
Whats the point of a lake if you cant swim in it? I still don’t understand why “use at your own risk” isn’t good enough. It’s like a hotel pool.
If its a monetary issue, I agree about charging non-residents.
Swim at your own risk has no legal force . If a kid drowns the town gets sued whether those signs are up or not. It’s what the past cases say unfortunately. It’s happened in other places sadly
Then why still allow boaters at Lake Arrowhead if the town is so worried about being sued?
It’s a public resource. Let people use it. Charge non-residents if money is needed.
Swim at your own risk has no legal weight for a local government according to the insurance companies and case law. If a kid drowns taxpayers still get sued and pay. If Sherando lake isn’t doing it then their insurance company must just not be as proactive; because they’ll get sued and be liable if something happens
Sherando Lake is in the national forest. It’s a completely different circumstance than a municipal lake. The only pools I know of that don’t have lifeguard shortages recruit foreign labor for the summer. Mostly from Eastern Europe. It is a shame Lake Arrowhead will be closed for swimming this summer.
but they want to pass a 1.5% event tax for what?