Altavista has excellent parks and community facilities, both public and private, available for use by its citizens.
The offerings for recreation in Altavista are quite diverse. Facilities include a boat launch, fishing piers, walking paths, baseball fields, basketball courts, picnic areas and playgrounds. Other recreation choices are available at a local golf course and a YMCA. The YMCA provides a full complement of facilities as well as all-day care for children ages two years old and older.
There are 61 acres of local park land in Altavista. Parks and recreation facilities in the town are operated and maintained primarily by the Town although some operation/maintenance on certain facilities is shared with the Altavista Area YMCA. The Town maintains two community parks and three neighborhood parks. A third community park is maintained through a partnership with the Altavista Area YMCA.
Game and other wild animals can be found in areas within or close to Town. Deer, turkeys, rabbits, and squirrels inhabit the area, and otters and beavers are occasionally spotted in stream valleys. Small-mouth bass and rock bass are relatively plentiful in the adjacent waters of the Staunton River.
About 35 miles to the northwest, the Blue Ridge Mountains offer virtually all the benefits of an unspoiled mountain environment, including majestic scenery and abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. Only a few miles to the west begins the Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes complex built by Appalachian Power Company, a resource famous for its beautiful scenery and outstanding aquatic recreation.
Campbell County Department of Recreation also offers programs to Altavista residents.
English Park
206 Pittsylvania Avenue
Altavista, VA 24517
(434) 332-9570
Situated along the edge of the scenic Staunton River, English Park will eventually encompass 167 acres of protected and publicly accessible space, including ball fields, picnic pavilions, volleyball courts, basketball courts, playground equipment, restrooms, walking trails, a boat launch and other recreational treasures. The Booker Building is located at English Park and is used for all types of gatherings, including family reunions, wedding receptions, and community events. The park is open to the public and is also used by the town for major festivals and events, including the annual Uncle Billy’s Day celebration.
English Park is also conveniently located near the shops and restaurants of downtown Altavista, and is a popular launching point for canoeists and kayakers wanting to spend the day on the Staunton River. River enthusiasts who "put in" at English Park float to either Long Island Park or the Brookneal Boat Ramp. The park property is recognized by the Department of Conservation and Recreation as a protected park property within the Virginia Park system.
Altavista Area YMCA
718 7th St
Altavista VA 24517
434-369-9622
www.altavistaymca.org
The Altavista Area YMCA was founded in 1971, making the community of Altavista the smallest town in America with a YMCA. Today the YMCA encompasses almost three city blocks and over 65,000 square feet of facilities valued at over $6 million. The physical complex consists of the Family Center built in 1972 and the Athletic Center constructed in 1994. The Athletic Center includes a gymnasium, wellness center, child watch, indoor track, group exercise room, locker rooms, conference room, multi-purpose room and administrative offices. The Family Center features a Junior Olympic swimming pool, child care facilities, playground and tennis courts.
Both adult and youth sports programs are offered through the YMCA. You do not need to be a member to take part in team sports activities. The major programming areas of the Altavista Area YMCA are child care, fitness, wellness, sports, aquatics, seniors and the Altavista Arts Council. Youth sports programs include basketball, softball, baseball, soccer, and swim team.
In conjunction with the Town of Altavista, the YMCA maintains a community park known as War Memorial Sports Complex, a frequent site for local, regional and even national sporting events, including the National Amateur Baseball Federation tournament.
Shreve Park
Shreve Park, adjacent to the YMCA and maintained by the Town of Altavista, offers playground equipment, picnic pavilions, a play creek for kids and an amphitheater.
Bedford Avenue Park
This neighborhood park, situated on 1 acre between the downtown and residential districts, offers a playground, basketball court and tennis courts.
15th Street/School Street Park
This neighborhood park, situated on 1.2 acres in town, features a playground and basketball court for area children to enjoy.
Lola/Avondale Park
This 1.32-acre attraction features a large playground for endless fun and activities.
Wayside Park
Located adjacent to the Town of Hurt on Business 29 South, Wayside Park provides picnic areas, open spaces, and hiking trails in a lovely wooded setting along the banks of Sycamore Creek. This park of 53 acres, maintained by Pittsylvania County, will always remain a recreational area for the enjoyment of local residents and visitors as provided in Mr. John L. Hurt’s grant. Routinely open from May 1 to October 1 for daytime activities, it is also available for overnight use by civic groups, such as Scouts, through a sign up with the “key keeper” at the Town of Hurt office.
Altavista Country Club
540 Fairway Lane
Hurt, VA 24563
(434) 324-7276
Altavista Country Club is a nine hole golf course and pool facility nestled in the rolling hills of northern Pittsylvania County in the Town of Hurt, Virginia with an accompanying driving range, club house, pool, pro shop and banquet room. The club is exactly 2.6 miles from downtown Altavista, Virginia.
The golf course is open seven (7) days per week year-a-round. A challenging course with the beauty and grace of what you would expect in this beautiful part of Virginia.
For more information or to set up a Tee Time, please phone 434-324-7276.
Smith Mountain Lake and State Park / Leesville Lake
Water and outdoor enthusiast of all kinds—boaters, skiers, fishermen, swimmers, campers, hunters, nature lovers—find Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes a wonderland of enjoyment. A continuous program of stocking the lakes with millions of game fish is maintained by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. The lakes have been called one of the best fishing spots in the eastern part of the nation. Appalachian Power Company has established picnic areas at both Smith Mountain and Leesville Dams, which are open to the public. They feature shelters, tables, fireplaces, comfort stations and fountains. Appalachian has also developed a public information center at the Smith Mountain Dam. Other recreational facilities and opportunities are available on the lakes, the largest inland water recreation project located solely in Virginia.
Arguably the premier fishing and watersports location in Virginia, Smith Mountain Lake and State Park is only a 25-minute drive from Altavista. It offers superb recreational activities, 500 miles of shoreline, a wide variety of water sports, and affordable lakefront real estate. SML is the "Jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains.” Smith Mountain Lake was created to generate electricity, and to help manage water flows downstream and nearby. The damming of the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers formed Smith Mountain Lake in a filling process that began on September 24, 1963 -- and ended almost 2.5 years later on March 7, 1966. Its highest normal water level ("full pond") is 795 feet above sea level. There is typically very little seasonal variation in the water level. The daily variation for electricity production is 12-24 inches.
A short, 15-mile drive from Altavista is Leesville Lake, a 3,270-acre gem with 100 miles of pristine, mostly undeveloped shoreline. Leesville Lake is ideal for family-friendly boating, fishing or simply a lazy day on the dock or deck. Leesville Lake is part of the Smith Mountain hydro-electric pump storage project. It begins at the base of Smith Mountain Dam and snakes 17 miles to Leesville Dam, which is just upstream from Leesville, Va., and the mouth of Goose Creek. It is the "lower" lake of the pump storage system and lake levels fluctuate between 600 ft to 613 ft above mean sea level. The lake contains 94,900 acre-feet of water at full pond.
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