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About
SILVER BAY VIEW COTTAGES

Superb wide-water lake and mountain views

 

Open-beam cedar cabins

 

Deep water docks: swimming, boating and fishing

 

 

SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

20,000 acres, 500 miles of shoreline

 

Major vacation destination in Mid-Atlantic

 

Silver Bay remains the jewell of the lake

 

RELAX and REJUVENATE: Hot tubs at the Point
Properties
CEDAR CABIN
Accommodates up to 6 people
Gas log fireplace
Private hot tub/deck open year round
MAIN HOUSE
Accommodates up to 10 people
Central gathering place for reunions
Large hot tub open year round
Over 500’ of private waterfront
Amazing views - Private docks

CABIN 1 and CABIN 2
Each accommodates up to 4 people
Large decks with Weber grills
Shared private deep water dock


Private boat slips
No-wake cove
Open-beam mountain cabins

Over 1000’ of community waterfront
Wilderness, mountain and lake views
Compare
COMPARE FEATURES

Select the cottage for your needs
REUNIONS

Four cottages accommodate up to 24 people+.
FAMILY VACATIONS

Build memories for a lifetime.
CORPORATE RETREATS

Strengthen your company's culture by getting away from the office.
Availability & Rates
CHECK AVAILABILITY
Planning a reunion? Find out when the cottages are available.
RATES & RESERVATIONS
Check out our special low
Fall, Winter and Spring rates.
POLICIES
Dogs are welcome!
Check our pet and other policies.
Activities
FOUR SEASONS

Winter:     Hike | Hot Tub | Solitude

Spring:     Fish | Wildlife | Kayak

Summer: Swim | Water Ski | Explore

Fall:           Autumn Color | Festivals
ON SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

- Swimming

- Boating

- Fishing

- Watersports

- Children
AROUND SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

- Hike at the State Park

- Sightseeing Cruise

- Golf

- Visit the Dam Visitor Center

- Shopping & Attractions
BEYOND SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE

- Jefferson's Poplar Forest


- Blue Ridge Parkway/Peaks of Otter

- Booker T. Washington Monument

- Appomattox Courthouse

- Homestead Creamery
Plan your Visit
BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME

What to bring


What we provide

Telephones & Internet

Plan ahead
MAP & DIRECTIONS

Lake Map


Locate Attractions

Google Map Link

Turn-by-turn Directions
CHECKING IN & OUT

Check-in & Check-out times

When you arrive

Preparing to leave

If you do leave something behind

We would love to hear from you!
WHILE YOU ARE HERE

Grocery Stores


Pharmacies

Restaurants

Catering & Dinner Cruises
Contact
Jim and Catriona Erler, Owners
434-953-6747
Info@SilverBayView.com




Questions, Vacation Planning, Reservations: Call us!


Emergencies: Dial 911
Owners Jim and Catriona Erler at Loblolly House

About us:
Jim is an engineer/entrepeneur who, in addition to running Silver Bay, designs Arts & Crafts homes and advises emerging technology companies.
www.ErlerDesign.com

Catriona is a garden author/photographer/ speaker who has written 9 books and countless articles for national and international publications. See her articles in the Smith Mountain Laker Magazine (free at local businesses).
www.CatrionaTudorErler.com
Reviews
Web site by Erler Design
434-953-6747   -   Info@SilverBayView.com    -   News & Events
Compare
Compare Features
Reunion Planning
Family Vacations
Corporate Retreats
Long Term Rentals
Main House
Cedar Cabin
Cabin 1
Cabin 2
Home
Compare Features
  Main House Cedar Cabin Cabin 1 Cabin 2
Sleeps* 10 6 4 4
Bathrooms 3 1 1 1
Master Bedroom #1 1 Queen 1 Queen 1 Queen 1 Queen
Master Bedroom #2 1 Queen      
Guest Room #1 2 Twins 2 Twins 2 Twins 2 Twins
Guest Room #2 3 Twins 2 Twins    
Public Rooms 2 Twins    
Range Full Size Full Size 24" wide 24" wide
Refrigerator 2 Full Size Full Size Mid-size Mid-size
Dishwasher Yes Yes No No
Laundry Yes (Full Size) Yes (Stacked) No No
HDTVs

40" HD/Satellite/DVD (rec room)

2-22" HD/Antenna (Master Bedrooms)

40" HD/Satellite/DVD 40" HD/Satellite/DVD 40" HD/Satellite/DVD
Dock with Swimming Ladder Private; Floating; Deep Water Private; Floating; Deep Water Semi-Private; Deep Water Semi-Private; Deep Water
Dock Power

By special request

25' cord required

No

~120' cord to cottage

No

~120' cord to cottage

No

~120' cord to cottage

Boat Slips 1 + 1 on end of dock 2 1 1
Square Feet (Cottage) ~3,000 ~1,100 ~640 ~640
Central Air and Heat Yes (2 zone) Yes Yes Yes
Gas Fireplace No Yes No No
Wireless Internet** Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hot Tub*** Yes (6 person, 8'4") Yes (6 person, 7'8") No No
Fire Pit Yes No No No

*County regulations prohibit exceeding the above accommodation figures. (Any person over 2 years must be included in the accomodation figures, as defined by Bedford County Zoning Ordinace 30-100-18.) If your requirements exceed our available capacity, please call and we can make arrangements with other nearby rental properties.

**Wireless Internet (Wireless-B & G, 802.11b & 802.11g) requires a wireless capability in your laptop. Please limit your usage to e-mail and web searches. Please do NOT stream video/audio as it will swamp the system and incur excessive fees. We have some flexibility, so please call if you have any questions about your particular Internet requirements.

***Hot Tubs Please see paragraph 10 on the POLICIES page regarding the safe use of the Hot Tubs.

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Reunion Planning
Family Reunion on the water

Finding the right venue

It isn't easy to find a private place in a beautiful setting with great activities for all ages that can also accommodate up to 24 people. So, when we found a private waterfront point with two houses and spectacular views, the idea of renovating the properties for reunions was born. The fact that Cabin 1 and 2 are only a short walk away, offering overflow accommodations, clinched the deal. Several hundred reunions and a decade later, we are still finding ways to improve the experience for our guests.

Choosing right cottages

The Comparison Chart on this page is an important tool for figuring out which properties you will need. We suggest that you assign people to beds/bedrooms to make sure that people can fit in comfortably. In some cases we have more places for people to sleep than are allowed in the property. This is done to provide you with more flexibility. Also, keep in mind that very young children needn’t be counted in the number of guests.

Too many people for the properties available?

If your reunion exceeds 24 people, or if some of the properties are already booked and you need more space, we can help. While the Main House is unique in our area, there are other nearby properties that may be available. These properties are not owned by Silver Bay View Cottages, but we often coordinate with the owners to accommodate larger groups. Please ask, we are happy to help.

Making plans

Other than finding the best venue, the most challenging part of planning a reunion is picking a date that works for everyone. If you are planning a reunion in the peak season, mid-June to mid-August, you will need to book well in advance. We typically get a few bookings one year in advance, but it really picks up in January and February.

The Availability Calendar, found on the Rates & Reservations page, allows you to see all the availability of all the properties at once. While we make every effort to keep the calendar up to date, during peak booking days we can fall behind, so please call us! For those who wonder, peak booking days are one of the great mysteries of this business. Anything from a snowstorm in the northeast, to the first warm day of spring, or possibly a new moon seem to trigger a flood of booking inquiries.

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Family Vacations
Watching wakeboarding from back of boat

Choosing the best property for your family

Families of two to four people have lots of choices! Cabins 1 and 2 are ideal for families of four or fewer. However, some families prefer the Cedar Cabin or the Main House for the hot tubs, fully equipped kitchens, laundry facilities, larger rooms and private docks. We suggest that you review the pages on each property, check the availability calendar and choose the one that you like best!

Plan ahead to have a great vacation

If you have never been to Smith Mountain Lake before, you will have a better vacation if you plan your visit around the ages and interest of all the members of your family. When you call us, we will ask you about your family and help you figure out the best activities to consider. The Activities page lists all kinds of activities, but we thought it might be helpful to list a few of the activities that we recommend for different age groups.

Families with young children

As parents of twin boys, we first visited the lake when they were only 3 years old. We wish we knew then what we know now! For the best and safest boating experience, we recommend pontoon boats. Their flat deck and “fence” around the boat make it the safest option as well as the most comfortable. To allow young children to safely enter the water, we recommend visiting the sandy beach at the State Park. Be sure and bring the classic pail and shovel, as well as a shade umbrella if you plan to be out for long. It is about 15 minutes away and also includes a playground area.

Families with children over ~age 7

There is nothing that can beat the joy of tubing! Either bring your own tube, or rent one from Mitchell’s Marina. When not being pulled behind a boat, tubes make great water toys when swimming off of the dock.

Don’t forget fishing! There are lots of pan fish under the docks that can easily be caught with a No. 16 hook and a worm. Consider having your children dig worms out of your garden at home as a way to prepare them for the vacation. Children naturally love to connect with nature by exploring the shoreline.

All ages will enjoy hiking at the State Park or at the Peaks of Otter in the Blue Ridge. However, a change in pace can be nice after a little too much sun. Consider a visit to Bridgewater Plaza with its arcade games and ice cream parlor.

Families with pre-teens, teens and older children

Water sports, such as skiing and wakeboarding, are loved by youngsters and adults alike. Many of our guests enjoy physical challenges of hiking to the top of Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter to see the 360 degree views of the spine of the Blue Ridge, the Roanoke valley and Smith Mountain Lake in the distance. The visitor center at the Smith Mountain Lake Dam offers a fascinating look at how energy is stored in this unique two-lake system.

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Corporate Retreats
Fishing guides offer great results

A change is setting can be a powerful tool to stimulate creative strategic thinking for executive teams. Over the years, several major corporations have chosen Silver Bay View Cottages as the best place to hold their retreats. They found the setting effective and have visited several times. The Main House is usually used as the central location for meetings with the other locations used for resting or sidebars. To reinforce relationships, some groups have hired fishing guides or booked dinner cruises. Use the Compare Features page to figure out accommodations and the Availability Calendar to see if the properties you need are available.

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Long Term Rentals

Looking for a way to get away from it all for a couple months? In January and February the lake is particularly quiet and we make the Main House and Cedar Cabin available at attractive monthly rates. Cabins 1 and 2 are not available for long-term rentals, as they are winterized in these months. Give us a call and we can discuss your particular needs.

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