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This is a photo of the designated swimming area at Palmer Point. There is a nice sandy beach with trees for shade.
Virginia › Mecklenburg County › John Hosea Kerr Reservoir

Palmer Point Park

Closed

The park is currently closed through May 25, 2026 and reopens May 26 as first-come, first-served. A $7 per vehicle entrance fee applies. The group shelter may be reserved through Recreation.gov.

Notify on Availability Reserve

Extreme Heat Warning issued July 3 at 1:57AM EDT until July 4 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

1:57 AM — 10:00 AM

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values 110 or greater expected. * WHERE...Portions of eastern, south central, and southeast Virginia. * WHEN...From 10 AM this morning to 8 PM EDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events.

Heat Advisory issued July 2 at 8:05PM EDT until July 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

July 2nd, 8:05 PM — 5:00 AM

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values 110 or greater expected. * WHERE...Northampton, Brunswick, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Accomack, and Greensville Counties. * WHEN...From 10 AM Friday to 8 PM EDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events.

About

Palmer Point Park sits on the 50,000-acre John H. Kerr Reservoir, a Corps of Engineers lake extending 39 miles along the Roanoke River across Virginia and North Carolina. Created by John H. Kerr Dam in 1952, the reservoir is known locally as Buggs Island Lake and offers 800 miles of wooded shoreline for recreation. The park provides a reservable group picnic shelter with tables and grill, swimming beach with designated swim area, and boat ramp with limited trailer parking. A life jacket loaner station with various sizes is available for visitor convenience. The setting is fairly open with scattered trees for shade and sandy beaches along the water. The reservoir is popular for fishing, with largemouth bass, striped bass, crappie, flathead catfish, channel catfish, and blue catfish available. Public lands around the lake are open to hunting with appropriate state licenses. The park is unstaffed and located approximately 30 minutes from South Hill, Virginia where shopping, gas, and groceries are available.

Directions

The physical address is 899 Palmer Point Road, Boydton, Virginia 23917. The park is located approximately 20 miles south of South Hill, Virginia.

Nearby Campgrounds

John H Kerr Old Picnic Area 2.5mi Tailrace Park 2.6mi North Bend Park Osage Picnic Shelter 2.4mi North Bend Park 2.7mi Grassy Creek Park 7.3mi Kerr Lake State Recreation Area 9.5mi Ivy Hill Park 8.2mi Rudds Creek Rec. Ar. 11mi Rudds Creek Rec Area Picnic Shelter 11mi

Amenities

Water —
Fires Allowed Yes
Toilets Yes
Dump Station No
Wifi No
Pets Allowed Yes
Showers No
Electric Hookups —
Water Hookups —
Sewer Hookups —
Camp Store No
Price $7 - $50

Vehicle

Max RV Length —
Max Trailer Length —
Big Rig Friendly No
Pull Through Sites No

Contact

Email jhkerr@usace.army.mil
Phone +1 (434) 738-6143

Cell Service

AT&T Yes
Verizon Yes
T-Mobile None

Useful Links

View on Recreation.gov
John H. Kerr Dam Recreation Areas

Availability

Photos

This is a photo of the designated swimming area at Palmer Point. There is a nice sandy beach with trees for shade.
This is a picture of the Palmer Point shelter. There are picnic tables under a covered shelter. There is a gravel walkway to the shelter. It has a grill located near the shelter and there are trash cans throughout the park.
While you are here, there are some rules and regulations that we need you to follow. Here at John H. Kerr Dam we follow the Title 36 Rules and Regulations. You can find the link to the full list by going to the need to know section or by scanning the QR code on this infographic. The infographic talks about just a few that we deal with the most and they are listed as follows. Title 36 Section 327.2 talks about vehicles. Title 36 Section 327.9 talks about sanitation. Title 36 Section 327.12 talks about restrictions. Title 36 Section 327.7 talks about camping. Title 36 Section 327.10 talks about fires. Title 36 Section 327.11 talks about control of animals.
This is a photo of the designated swimming area at Palmer Point. There is a nice sandy beach area with a few trees for shade. There is also a life jacket loaner station where you can borrow and return life jackets of many different sizes.
This is the playground at Palmer Point.
This is a picnic site that can be found at Palmer Point. This picnic site is timbered on the edges. Inside the timbers you will find a picnic table and a small grill. There are trash cans located throughout the park.
They are listed as follows; you are reserving the shelter only. If you have any questions, please call the nearest gatehouse. Their phone number can be found on the need-to-know section. Overnight camping is not allowed at the shelters or day use areas. You must pay the seven-dollar day use fee separately from the reservation. The seven-dollar day use fee is not included in your shelter reservation. Parking is first come, first serve. Enjoy your time at Palmer Point Park!
This is the boat ramp located at Palmer Point. This boat ramp does not have a dock attached. There is limited parking for vehicles with trailers.

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