JEANNA DUERSCHERL The Roanoke Times

Jumping off the Cliffs, located on the Blackwater River portion of Smith Mountain Lake, has been a popular pastime of lake-goers for decades.

JEANNA DUERSCHERL The Roanoke Times

Signs visible from land and water aim to keep people from jumping off the rock embankment known as the Cliffs, but that hasn't kept everybody away. The consequences for trespassing on the private property could include a maximum $2,500 fine or a year in jail.

UNION HALL -- A popular summer pastime at Smith Mountain Lake is now illegal -- but whether that will deter participants or just add to the thrill remains to be seen.

Anyone caught jumping off the rock embankment known as the Cliffs will be ticketed for trespassing on private property. The consequences for indulging in a jump could include a maximum $2,500 fine and a year in jail.

Developer John Merritt of Optima Properties said he worked with the state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to ensure public safety on the property, which is easiest accessed by boat on the Blackwater River portion of the lake. If someone were to get hurt, it could be a liability issue, he said. The situation became more of an issue recently because construction has begun on a nearby subdivision, The Coves.

Signs warning against trespassing are visible from the land and the water -- but that didn't stop more than a dozen swimmers from taking a plunge on Wednesday afternoon. None of the jumpers wanted to be identified by name.

Most said they were from out of town, directed to the popular spot by locals. And though they saw the numerous signs -- one was posted on a tree on the same cliff they jumped from -- they said they weren't aware they could be ticketed.

But even after hearing the news, they continued to jump and do back flips off the rocks.

One swimmer even posed for a picture in front of the largest sign warning "PRIVATE PROPERTY. NO TRESPASSING."

Just last weekend three people were ticketed standing right in front of the sign, said Sgt. Karl Martin, a conservation officer with the DGIF.

State police, sheriff's deputies and the fire department will help enforce the law, he said. Martin said a judge will determine the fines for those ticketed last weekend.

"For several decades it has been an attraction on Smith Mountain Lake for youngsters and oldsters as well," Martin said. "But it's a form of recreation that will cease until the landowners choose to remove the signs."

Previously the property owners hadn't complained, but now they don't want people on the property while it's being developed, Martin said.

Lots have been sold farther inland, but Merritt said he's not sure what he will do with the property that overlooks the Cliffs.

"We are interested in preserving the Cliffs for what it is, one of the natural landmarks on the lake," he said. "Our priority is to keep people safe and ensure the scenic qualities of the area."

Videos on YouTube show people jumping from the Cliffs, more than 30 feet above the lake. And with increased boat traffic expected for the holiday weekend, Merritt thought this was a good time to start curbing the jumps.

Over the years, several people have injured themselves -- some seriously -- by jumping off the Cliffs, said Al Busch with Smith Mountain Lake Marine Fire/Rescue. There have been cases where people have slipped from the cliffs or didn't jump out far enough and hit the rocks on their way down, he said.

Scott Adamson of Rockville, Md., discovered the Cliffs when he vacationed at the lake in 1990. He said he and his family visit the lake once or twice a year and are sure to take a picnic and radio to the Cliffs when they venture a few jumps. Adamson has posted video of their jumps on YouTube.

"Seems like the fun police ... are everywhere," he wrote in an e-mail.