Lake of the Woods
Orange County, Virginia — Locust Grove

What Lake of the Woods Is

Lake of the Woods is a planned recreational community in the northeastern corner of Orange County, Virginia, developed beginning in 1967 by Virginia Wildlife Clubs (a subsidiary of U.S. Land, Inc.) and subsequently developed by Boise Cascade Corporation. The Lake of the Woods Association, Inc. — LOWA — assumed ownership and control in 1972, and has governed the community ever since as a private, member-owned homeowner's association. The community today covers approximately 2,600 acres and contains 4,260 residential lots distributed across 16 sections, many named after historic Virginia plantations: Cornwallis, Mount Pleasant, Harpers Ferry, and others.

The community is built around two private man-made lakes. The Main Lake covers 500 acres, impounded by Veterans Memorial Dam — 1,450 feet wide and 60 feet tall, built in 1968 — and maintained at a normal pool of 317.5 feet above sea level. Keaton's Lake, in Section 13, covers 24 acres and is also called Fishing Lake or Small Lake. It is impounded by Keaton's Run Dam, 450 feet wide and 34 feet tall, and maintained at 284.0 feet above sea level. The two lakes are structurally separate and operate under different rules: full boating on the Main Lake, electric-motor-only no-wake on Keaton's Lake.

Lake of the Woods is not a lakefront subdivision near a public lake. LOWA owns the lakes, governs their use, staffs a 24/7 gate and security operation, maintains 41 miles of private paved roads, operates a golf course, equestrian center, fitness center, two swimming pools, pickleball and tennis courts, a community center, a campground, and the LOWA Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. It is one of the most thoroughly amenitized private lake communities in Virginia — and understanding that structure is prerequisite to understanding what you are buying when you purchase property here.

Who Buys at Lake of the Woods

The buyer profile at Lake of the Woods is distinct from most Virginia lake markets. The combination of gated privacy, proximity to the DC metro area via the Fredericksburg I-95 corridor, and a broad internal amenity package attracts three primary buyer types: DC-area hybrid workers seeking more space while maintaining commute viability, retirees from the DC and Northern Virginia suburbs who want community structure and amenities without a long drive to services, and weekender buyers from the DC metro who want a secure lake property they can use without being present year-round and without worrying about property management.

The weekender appeal is specifically tied to the gate. A gated 24/7 staffed community with contract security and its own fire and rescue is meaningfully different from an unfenced lakefront subdivision when a buyer is absent for most of the week or most of the year. The LOWA decal system and controlled access mean strangers cannot launch boats, access beaches, or use amenities without member sponsorship. That security character is a core selling point that listing descriptions consistently highlight and that buyers consistently cite as a reason for choosing LOW over alternatives.

Orange County and the 2025 Tax Change

All Lake of the Woods properties pay Orange County real estate tax at the TY2025 rate of $0.620 per $100 of assessed value — confirmed from the Virginia Department of Taxation TY2025 Local Tax Rates publication. This rate represents a significant change from the prior TY2024 rate of $0.750, which was reduced after Orange County completed its first full reassessment since 2020. The average assessed value in Orange County increased 32.72% on the 2025 reassessment. The Board of Supervisors reduced the rate to $0.620 to partially offset the assessment increases; the net effect for most property owners was a moderate increase in actual taxes owed despite the rate cut, because assessed values rose faster than the rate was reduced. On a property that increased in assessed value by more than 32.72%, taxes increased. On a property with a smaller increase, taxes may have stayed flat or declined.

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