[ Location | Population | Environment | Climate]

Today Bath County is recognized as a major outdoor recreational and resort destination in the scenic Allegheny Mountains of Virginia. Rich with lush forests, rushing crystal rivers, hot and warm springs, and beautiful mountain scenery, it is home to fabulous hotels, rustic lodges, and quaint bed and breakfasts. With the changing seasons come opportunities for a wide variety of activities such as hunting, fishing, golfing, hiking, horseback riding, birding, canoeing, kayaking, spelunking, bicycling, skiing, and skating.

The Homestead, located in Hot Springs, is regarded as one of the finest year-round resorts in the world. It offers a convention center, three championship golf courses, ski slopes, tennis courts, riding trails, skeet fields, and many other facilities for the pleasure of its guests.

Location

Bath County is located in the west central portion of Virginia. The 540 square mile area is within one day's drive of half the population of the United States. It is easily accessible from Interstate 81 and Interstate 64 by U.S. Route 220. It is located 85 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia: 160 miles west of Richmond, Virginia; 200 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.; 210 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 180 miles north of Greensboro, North Carolina; 410 miles southeast of Cincinnati, Ohio; and 425 miles south of New York City. The County has immediate access to air and highway transportation.

Elevations in Bath County range from 4,477 feet above sea level atop Paddy Knob to 1,140 above sea level where the Cowpasture River flows into Alleghany County. 

Population

There are no incorporated towns in Bath County and, in fact, there are no traffic lights to be found anywhere in the county. The county is dotted, however, by several small communities: 

The population of Bath County is approximately 5,000. 

Environment

Numerous springs rise in the mountains and valleys in Bath County. Every major community within the county uses at least one spring as a source of water. Thermal springs are found in Warm Springs, Hot Springs and Bolar Springs with temperatures ranging from 77 F to 106 F. Some of the natural springs flow at rates ranging from 2,500 to 5,000 gallons per minute.

   Approximately 89% of Bath County's 345,600 acres is forest. Of that figure, 176,809 acres comprise the George Washington National Forest. Gathright Dam and Lake Moomaw are located within the national forest, in the southwestern section of the county. 

Adjacent to much of the shore line of Lake Moomaw is the T.M. Gathright Wildlife Management Area. This 13,428 acre area is managed by the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries for the production and management of wildlife, particularly the wild turkey. 

An additional 9,254 acres on and around Warm Springs Mountain are owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. The Conservancy's Warm Springs Mountain Preserve is one of the largest privately owned tracts of critical forest habitat in western Virginia, and contains three rare plants, eight rare invertebrates, and three rare natural communities including a globally rare
montane pine barren.

Climate

Average temperatures are ideal for every season.

Spring - 51°F        Fall - 53°F
Summer - 69°F        Winter - 32°F

Average annual rainfall is 41.7 inches.
Average annual snowfall is 30 inches.
Prevailing winds are from the Southwest.

Current weather is here.