A Retreat to Bath County, Virginia | Listen

A nourishing 48-hour retreat awaits in Bath County, Virginia

There’s a magical quality about Bath County, located in Virginia’s Allegheny Highlands. As you approach, you’ll take in the bucolic landscapes, but soon your attention will demand that your car hug the mountain curves a little tighter. It’s impossible to resist rolling down the windows and breathing in lungfuls of cool air. There’s something in the water, here, too. 

Bath County is home to Hot Springs and Warm Springs, which for more than two centuries have been sought after for the area’s therapeutic mineral springs. Its appeal is bolstered by hiking and fishing, charming and historic accommodations, a world-class music venue, and locally inspired food and drink that showcases everything from mountain trout to artisan cider. People come to Bath County to nourish themselves, to reconnect with nature, to revive their spirits, and to fill themselves up by slowing down. Here’s what to do, drink, and eat, and where to stay to soak up that Bath County magic.

Friday

Time your arrival for lunch and seek out the local favorite Warm Springs Gallery. The first floor houses local and internationally acclaimed contemporary art, while upstairs is home to The Garden Room, a dreamy gift shop and café. For lunch, you can’t go wrong with one of the weekly specialty salads—say, tomato, peach, and nectarine topped with fresh basil and local chevre—or hearty sandwiches (the tarragon chicken salad is a to-go item but ask nicely and the staff will spin it into a superlative sandwich). Weather permitting, snag one of the bistro patio tables in the adjacent garden. Before you leave, stock up on regional souvenirs such as maple syrup, Virginia peanuts, cheese straws, and jams, as well as books and artisanal kitchen goods such as tea towels, wooden spoons and bowls, and trivets.

Next, it’s time to check in. Depending on where you’re staying, you can head to the pool for an afternoon dip with a side of mountain views at The Inn at Gristmill Square, a lovely bed-and-breakfast in Warm Springs that’s housed in a renovated working gristmill compound. Or make a splash at the family-friendly two-acre waterpark Allegheny Springs at The Omni Homestead Resort, a historic property that dates back to 1766, where you’ll find luxury accommodations plus waterslides, a lazy river, a sandy beach, and a whirlpool. If a pool hang isn’t in the cards, book a relaxing service at Warm Spirit Spa to help ease your transition to vacation mode. The spa offers massages and facials, as well as Ayurvedic treatments like the Marma Balancing Treatment, which is designed to balance your energy flow.

Come late afternoon, you’ll be ready for some liquid refreshment. Drop by Troddenvale at Oakley Farm, an orchard and cidery that produces aromatic, vibrant ciders with minimal intervention, like a lush, tropical-leaning farmhouse cider made with Hewes Virginia crab apple. The cidermakers also grow Asturian varietals, like piel de sapo, which yields a plush farm cider with an aromatic fruitiness that the owners liken to peach gummies with notes of Cara Cara orange on the palate. Troddenvale is also home to Foodlore Fridays, a popular summer series that showcases local chefs, Foodlore Provisions (a mini farmers market/CSA pickup), and live music, along with Troddenvale cider and local cheeseboards. 

If wine is more your thing, hit up happy hour at Rock Roadhouse Winery on Main Street in Hot Springs. Many of the winery’s grapes are grown on Bath County’s Cole Mountain, which boasts an elevation of more than 2,600 feet, plentiful rain, and steep terrain that creates a climate conducive to grape growing. Crowd-pleasing sips include a dark-fruit-forward house red blend and Aviator, a wine fortified with unaged brandy. And for craft beers, drop by for a pint at Bacova Beer Company a couple doors down. On tap you’ll find seasonal suds and year-round signatures, like Furious George, a hybrid ale that crosses the toasty, malty characteristics of an English bitter with the hoppy finish of an American IPA. 

Follow your happy hour of choice with dinner at the Waterwheel Restaurant at The Inn at Gristmill Square, which sits within the mill’s 100-plus-year-old walls. Choose your own wine adventure by visiting the wine cellar within the old mill foundation, filled with interesting and approachable bottles that are handily labeled with prices. There’s also a thoughtful cocktail menu that includes spirit-free options such as Not a G&T, perfumed with lime and rose water. Standouts on the local-leaning menu include seasonal salads, like a formidable, picture-worthy wedge and creative riffs on burrata, as well as any of the mountain trout dishes, like the smoked trout crostini with trout roe or the lightly crisp-skinned, pan-seared mountain trout. Weather permitting, there’s also a lovely courtyard that makes an ideal setting for an alfresco supper.

Saturday

In Bath County, breakfast is all about where you’re staying. At The Inn at Gristmill Square, a breakfast basket will be delivered to your door, filled with dishes like yogurt parfait, frittata with farm fresh veggies, fruit turnovers, and coffee. A room at bed-and-breakfast Vine Cottage Inn comes with a generous plate of eggs, a breakfast protein, and a brunchy item, like the crowd-pleasing praline french toast. At The Omni Homestead Resort, fuel up with a buffet breakfast inside the chandelier-decked dining room; don’t miss the locally famous hot, fresh maple-glazed or cinnamon-sugar donuts, fashioned after a 50-year-old recipe. And finally, if grab-and-go is more your thing, swing by The Coffee Shop at The Inn at Warm Springs, another charming historic property that started as Bath County’s first jail and courthouse, for lattes and scratch-made fluffy cinnamon rolls. 

Take in the air and go for a hike in the Alleghany Highlands, such as the three-mile round-trip hike to Blue Suck Falls, a series of small cascades that get their name from the Appalachian term for a whirlpool or “suck,” which can be found at the base of the falls. If you’d rather skip the hike but still want to access stunning waterfall views, drive along Route 220 a few miles south of Hot Springs to reach Falling Spring Falls, a stunning 80-foot waterfall. The overlook, grounds, and picnic area are wheelchair accessible and family- and pet-friendly. If you didn’t have a chance to check out Troddenvale at Oakley Farm on Friday, book a Saturday afternoon orchard tour and cider tasting to learn more about the apple varietals grown and the minimal intervention methods that yield the vibrant, funky flavors of Troddenvale’s artisan cider.

The Saturday evening move is dinner and a show at Garth Newel Music Center, a venue set on 114 acres with views of the Alleghany Highlands. The award-winning piano-strings quartet puts on a world-class concert in Herter Hall, a converted horse-training ring, which is followed by a multicourse seasonal dinner inspired by the evening’s musical theme. (Garth Newel also hosts Sunday afternoon concerts and alfresco picnics in summer.) Another dinner option is the local favorite The Tavern at The Inn at Warm Springs for elevated twists on European tavern fare such as bouillabaisse and chicken schnitzel. If you’re staying at The Omni Homestead and want to dine on-property, check out Jefferson’s Restaurant for upscale fare like foie gras on brioche and steaks with truffle butter, or Jefferson’s Taproom for burgers and small plates. For a family-friendly dessert, ask to purchase a s’mores kit and head to the firepit on the front lawn. The lobby’s Presidential Lounge is an ideal spot for a nightcap, like say a pitch-perfect Manhattan or a spirit-free tipple like the citrusy Silhouette, and a couple rounds of pool. 

Sunday

Start your Sunday off right with brunch at The Tavern at The Inn at Warm Springs. The fan favorite dish is a clever riff on chicken and waffles, starring chicken schnitzel on a Belgian waffle served with Back Creek Farms maple syrup. The menu is rounded out with brunch classics like eggs Benedict (topped with lox, bratwurst, or ham), omelets, and a solid burger with housemade fries. Wash it all down with a Tavern bloody mary or a peach mimosa.

To ensure you hang on to your blissed-out vacation vibes a little longer, take a relaxing soak in the mineral-rich, crystal-clear waters of the recently renovated baths at Warm Springs Pools. It’s part of the Homestead, but anyone can book a time slot for a soak. (Family soak times are available, too.) The 19th-century bathhouses are fed by four mineral-rich natural warm springs that maintain a natural body temperature year-round and flow at a rate of 1,700,000 gallons per day.

Time permitting, you can squeeze in a hike on the Ingalls Overlook Trail, a 1.2-mile out-and-back-trail set in an Appalachian oak-pine forest that’s known for its variety of migratory songbirds. The trail also includes interpretive signs which give insight to the area’s natural history and ends at a lookout point with picturesque views of Shenandoah Mountain and the Cowpasture River valley. Post-soak or -hike, make a stop at the scenic Dan Ingalls Overlook, situated on the spine of Warm Springs Mountain. It’ll give you a final moment to reflect, take in some more of that magical mountain air, and savor the views just a little longer. If you’ve got time for a picnic or need snacks or lunch for the road, stop by Milk House Market to pick up salads or sandwiches, like the excellent Herdsman, a baguette slicked with horseradish mayo and piled with roast beef, swiss, tomato, and spring greens. You can also stock up on edible souvenirs here, such as Troddenvale cider or apple butter and lavender maple syrup from Back Creek Farms.

Where To Stay

The Omni Homestead Resort 

If your budget allows, it’s worth booking at least one night here for the luxurious rooms and a roster of on-site activities, including horseback riding, fly-fishing, archery, and a guided Cascades Gorge hike in Bath County, Virginia.

Vine Cottage Inn 

Each room has its own personality, like the third-floor Honeysuckle room furnished with French Provincial flair or the Goldchild Ivy Room, aptly nicknamed the “Harry Potter” room. Plus you’re within walking distance of Main Street.

The Inn at Gristmill Square

This bed-and-breakfast is housed in a renovated working gristmill compound. One of the owners’ favorite rooms is the Spring Suite, which has a separate living room and private patio/garden area where you can post up with a book or sip a predinner cocktail. 

The Inn at Warm Springs 

A charming historic property conveniently located across the street from the Warm Springs Pools, the inn is also home to a tavern-style restaurant, coffee shop, and cute gift shop. Each of the tastefully appointed and eclectically decorated rooms has its own personality, and the inn also has a limited number of pet-friendly rooms.

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