The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Warm Springs Mountain, Virginia. © Jennifer Rich/The Nature Conservancy

Open to the Public

Yes

Things To Do

Explore the trails at Warm Springs Mountain Preserve. View All

Plan Your Visit

Binoculars, field guides and a camera may be useful. View All

Get Directions

Warm Springs Mountain Preserve helps stitch together thousands of acres of forest and conservation lands in western Virginia’s Allegheny Highlands. The preserve anchors our efforts to protect and restore a key wildlife corridor and habitat for an amazing diversity of natural communities, plants and animals.

We have ongoing fundraising needs to support our conservation work on the mountain. If you are interested in contributing or learning more about what your funds could support, please contact Virginia’s director of philanthropy, Catherine Holley.

March 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the preserve: View our anniversary slideshow.

Location

Bath County

Size

9,269 acres on and around Warm Springs Mountain

Field Trips

Local Conservancy staff members periodically offer guided hikes, providing visitors with opportunities to explore many facets of the mountain. Contact our Warm Springs office to inquire about group tours: (540) 839-3599.

Ecological Significance

The preserve features Virginia’s only substantial montane pine barren, a globally rare, arid, fire-dependent landscape. The mountain harbors at least two other rare natural communities, three rare plants and eight rare invertebrates. Situated within a 77,000-acre unfragmented, largely roadless forest block, the preserve helps maintain healthy, breeding populations of interior-forest-dwelling songbirds, provides key habitat for wide-ranging mammals, and protects headwater tributaries of both the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers.

Ongoing Conservation

Through diverse conservation partnerships, the Conservancy continues to research, protect and, in certain areas, restore the rich ecology of Warm Springs Mountain and the Allegheny Highlands. Currently, our key strategies include:

1. Collaboration with federal and state agencies to restore the historic fire regime of fire-adapted and fire-dependent pine and oak forest communities
2. Inventory, monitoring, and control of non-native invasive plant species
3. Working with the George Washington National Forest to build and manage a network of resilient forest sites critical to the preservation of biodiversity within the Central Appalachians
   

Things To Do

Two trails are currently open to the public: the Ingalls Overlook Trail and the Sandy Gap Trail. 

Go on a treasure hunt with your family! What will you find?

Ingalls Overlook Trail — At the northern end of the preserve, park at the Dan Ingalls Overlook, located on Route 39 just outside the village of Warm Springs. Here you will find the trailhead for the Ingalls Overlook Trail. Interpretive signs along the trail (2.4-mile round trip) provide an excellent introduction to the mountain.

Sandy Gap Trail — At the southern end of the preserve, park at the small gravel lot on Route 703 (Airport Road) just past the south entrance to Bald Knob. Cross the paved road to the gravel Bald Knob service road and you will find the trailhead for the Sandy Gap Trail.  Built by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930’s, this trail (3.2-mile one-way trip) provides excellent views to the east, travels through the George Washington National Forest, and connects to Douthat State Park.

Plan Your Visit

Please stay on the hiking trails to avoid harming sensitive habitat. Download trail brochures before your trip to Warm Springs Mountain Preserve:

• Ingalls Overlook Trail
• Sandy Gap Trail 

Directions

Warm Springs Mountain Preserve is located in Bath County, Virginia - approximately 60 minutes west of Lexington, 75 minutes southwest of Staunton, and 30 minutes north of Covington. The Preserve’s public trails are best accessed from either State Route 39 just east of the village of Warm Springs at the Dan Ingalls Overlook, or from State Route 703 near Ingalls Field Airport.

Download a vicinity map to help plan your visit.

Discussion

Have you been to this preserve? Are you thinking of visiting? See what others are saying about their experiences and add your comments below.

Add Your Comments

Time for you to join the discussion. Tell us about your experience at this preserve. What plants and animals did you see? When did you go? You can help others plan their visit when you share your thoughts. And thank you for visiting one of our nature preserves!

Read our guidelines on posting comments