Salthouse Branch Park is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation area on the north shore of Philpott Lake, the 2,880-acre reservoir the Corps built on the Smith River in the foothills below the Blue Ridge. The park sits in a quiet, rural corner of Franklin County about 6 miles southwest of the small community of Henry, and it is run by the Corps' Wilmington District from the Philpott Lake office near Bassett. Alongside the campground, the park has a day-use area with picnic tables, a group shelter and its own swim area on the lake.

From U.S. 220, take Henry Road (Route 605) west for about 6 miles, turn left on Knob Church Road for 2 miles, then left on Salthouse Branch Road and follow the signs to the attended entrance gate. The Corps warns GPS users not to route over Route 727 (Stoney Brook Lane) or Route 894 (Johnson Hill Road). Once inside, the main park road runs south past the camping loops to the shoreline, then turns west along the water to the picnic area at the end of the road, where there is parking, restrooms and a picnic shelter.

The day-use swim area is a marked section of shoreline just below that picnic area at the west end of the park road, and this listing is pinned there. A second marked swim area sits farther east beside the Salthouse Branch boat ramp and dock, next to the lower camping loop, and is mostly used by campers. Philpott is a deep, clear mountain reservoir, and the Corps describes its banks as steep and rocky, so water can get deep quickly once you leave the marked area. Nothing in the Corps materials mentions lifeguards, so plan on supervising your own group. Pets are not allowed on the beach or in either swim area.

Philpott Lake is a federal fee area. Under the Corps' posted day-use rate, a visit costs $7 per vehicle, $2 per walk-in or $20 per commercial vehicle, and the amount in force is posted at the park entrance. A Corps annual day-use pass ($40 at the Philpott Lake Visitor Center) and America the Beautiful passes, including the Senior, Access and Military passes, cover day use. Gates are closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., alcohol and firearms are banned throughout the park, and campground visitors must leave by 10 p.m. The campground season runs April 1 through October 31.

Lake levels at Philpott move with flood control and hydropower operations at the dam, so the beach edge shifts through the year; the Corps posts current levels through the Philpott Lake page on Corps Lakes Gateway. Call the park at (540) 365-7005 or the visitor center at (276) 629-2703 before a late-season visit to confirm the day-use area is open. Swim only inside the marked areas and stay clear of the boat ramps and docks, where swimming is not allowed.

Beyond the water, the park has 91 campsites (some with water and electric hookups), showers, a playground, an amphitheater and two boat ramps, one on Roland Branch and one on Salthouse Branch. The Dogwood Glen Trail runs 4.5 miles out and back to the dam tailrace for hikers, mountain bikers and riders, and the Laurel Ridge Trail runs 2.25 miles out and back to Twin Ridge Park. A short interpretive nature loop stays inside the park, and Fairy Stone State Park lies just across the lake for a longer day out.