Fun and Relaxation in the Alleghany Highlands

Specific Information on Activities in Alleghany, Bath, and Highland Counties

The Alleghany Highlands is a lush mountain playground situated west of the Blue Ridge Parkway at the southern tip of the Shenandoah Valley. Railroad buffs, history hobbyists, outdoor enthusiasts, antique shoppers and arts and crafts lovers will all find something of interest .

Just east of Clifton Forge is Douthat State Park, the first in the Virginia State Park system where you can rough it at a scenic campsite or spend a week in one of the furnished and restored log cabins built in the 1930's. You won't want to miss the fossil sites, self-guided walking trails, summertime campfires and children's programs. Set out on a trail ride from a nearby private farm, explore a cave or strap on cross country skis on a snowy afternoon and glide through the back country.

At the first sign of clouds, you'll want to hit the antique and specialty shops in Clifton Forge. The Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts Center changes art exhibits monthly and locally crafted items of the highest quality await buyers. Railroad buffs will find the C&O Historical Society Archives a must to see and the family will enjoy the sales and display area. In autumn, the Fall Foliage Festival fills the city's main thoroughfare.

Drive west of Covington on the original Midland Trail to historic Humpback Bridge, one of the most visited and photographed sites in the region. The covered bridge is an arched 100 foot single span now situated in a small state maintained wayside park. Humpback Bridge is one of several Alleghany Highlands attractions on the National register of Historic Places. Year round fishing is terrific in local streams and rivers, several of which feed Lake Moomaw, nestled in the mountains 19 miles north of Covington. Water skiing, boating, sailing, fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking and hunting are part of the fun within the 13,428 acre T. M. Gathright Wildlife Management Area which includes the lake. The entire Highlands region is renowned for its excellent deer, bear and small game hunting. World class whitewater rafting is only a short drive away in West Virginia.

Also in the area is The HOMESTEAD resort where you can enjoy golfing, snow skiing, ice skating, sporting clays and the specialty shops on Cottage Row. Garth Newel Chamber Music Center fills the fresh mountain air with strains of Vivaldi or Bach on weekend afternoons in the summer. The warm mineral springs, whose curative power and social importance are legendary, is one of the area's main attractions.