The places that don't make you apologize for the kids. Restaurants with crayons that aren't an afterthought, parks with shade and bathrooms, the ice-cream stop with the line on a hot Tuesday.
A state park on the lake's north shore, just above Radford, opened around the lake in 1949 and under state management since 1951 — a clean sandy beach with a bathhouse and concession stand (peak season through Labor Day), a universally accessible fishing pier, bike rentals, picnic shelters, and playgrounds.