Natural beauty isn’t all Bath County has to offer. Take
a tour of some of western Virginia’s most unusual
and delightful art galleries in and around the villages
of Hot Springs, Warm Springs, Healing Springs, and
Bacova, or spend an afternoon exploring shelves of
endless old-time treasure in one of Bath’s many antique
shops, which carry everything from the finest china to
primitive handiwork of centuries past.
The George Washington National Forest covers more
than 170,000 acres in Bath County, offering outdoor
recreation galore, from boating on Lake Moomaw to
fishing in the premier trout waters of the Jackson River.
More than 120 miles of secluded and sparsely traveled
hiking and biking trails offer long blue Allegheny
Mountain vistas, access to unusual blowing springs,
and views of high elevation cranberry bogs.
The Nature Conservancy’s Warm Springs Mountain
Preserve protects 13 miles of fragile mountain ridge line,
including a high elevation Appalachian forest of rare
montane pine barren, some of which you can explore
along the Ingalls Overlook Trail.
Lake lovers will treasure Bath’s mountain waters
from 2,500-acre Lake Moomaw with its marina and
boat rental facilities to a lazy paddle by canoe across
the lake at Douthat State Park. The Dominion Back
Creek Recreation Area provides access to two stocked
lakes in a stunning natural setting beneath Back Creek
Mountain.
Whatever your palate craves, Bath has a dining
experience to tempt your tastebuds. Here you can
enjoy black tie dining and continental cuisine at The
Homestead resort or the casual elegance of a creek side supper in a restored gristmill. Savor fresh baked goods al fresco on a grassy lawn in Hot Springs, or settle in for an evening of down home Southern cooking at a friendly café.
