• Intro
• Falling Springs Falls
• Warm Springs Pools
• Bath County Courthouse
• The Omni Homestead
• The Vine Cottage Inn
• Les Cochons d’Or
• Links
• Map

Intro

We have been to Bath County at least three times in the past 5 years. It is a beautiful area of the Allegheny Highlands, about in the middle of the Virginia, West Virginia border. Bath county is dotted with various types of natural springs, which are one of the primary reasons for the counties name. The county was established in 1790.

Falling Springs Falls

Yes, I know falling spring waterfall is actually in Allegheny County not Bath County, but I have no content on Allegheny County right now, so. Falling Springs is one of the tallest waterfalls in Virginia, at ~80 feet, and one of the easiest waterfalls in Virginia to get to, since it is literally 50 yards off the highway.

Warm Springs Pools

Originally built in 1761, the “Gentleman’s Building” is the oldest spa structure in the United States, and was visited by Thomas Jefferson. The entire facility completed a $3-$5 Million rehabilitation in December 2022, and was reopened on the 17th of December after a 5-year closure. The pools are open to the public for a fee. In the before & after pictures below, you can see the deplorable condition of the roof on the left.

Bath County Courthouse

Completed in 1914 it is roughly a mile from the counties original courthouse that was across the road from the warm springs pools. I cannot find any information on either building, so just enjoy the pictures.

The Omni Homestead

The Omni Homesteads roots date back to 1766. I don’t know what else to say about the Homestead, it is a big, beautiful resort.

The Vine Cottage Inn

My wife and I have visited Bath County several times before, mostly day trips from Lexington or Roanoke, but we never really stayed there. We had the opportunity in early November 2022, it was last minute, planning, and we found a B&B that my wife approved of. We got very lucky in this last-minute selection, that turned out to be a great find.

Tammy and Dave are great hosts, the staff was so helpful and friendly, the food was delicious. We had some minimal problems with our room, and a leaky roof over the shower. The little problems were resolved quickly, and the leaky roof stopped leaking when the rain stopped It is a 100+ year old building, and as the owner of a 100+ year old house I fully understand.

We are already planning another visit to the Vine Cottage Inn, soon. Maybe on our Allegheny County excursion. No, it’s not the Homestead, but it is close, real close, like a block away.

Les Cochons d’Or

We had dinner at Les Cochons d’Or, and it was one of the best meals I have ever had, the Rib-Eye was perfect. My wife loved her dinner as well, I don’t remember what she had, but she wasn’t sharing. The staff and owners were great, it was a truly pleasant experience, even though they were extremely busy, the service was not lacking in any measure. I highly recommend it. Their menu changes daily, so refer to the restaurant’s web page, yelp and others will get it wrong (I learned the hard way).

Links

• The Vine Cottage Inn
• Les Cochons d’Or
• The Omni Homestead
• Douthat State Park
• George Washington National Forest
• Visit Bath County

Map