So, you’re planning to see a concert (or two, or three) at Garth Newel, and you want to make a real weekend of it. Of course, it’s perfectly fine to lounge around, enjoy the scenery, anticipate the glorious music that you’ll hear, and dream of the amazing meal that Chef Josh is preparing for after the concert. But, if you want to take in some of what the area has to offer, what else is there to do? Bath County may have a population of less than 5,000, but there is no shortage of ways to enjoy yourself here and in neighboring Allegheny County.
Top photo: The Milk House Market, a cozy restaurant with craft food just a few minutes from Garth Newel, where you can dine in or get a picnic lunch to take with you.
LOCAL OFFERINGS
Troddenvale Cidery
6 minutes/2 miles from GNMC
Using local cider-variety apples and traditional artisanal methods, Troddenvale’s ciders are intended to express the fruit’s pure character. Visit the Cider Bar to sample their offerings, and check out their website for information on tours and special events, including “Foodlore Fridays,” which showcases food that is grown, harvested, and made in the Allegheny Highlands.
Cider Bar Weekend Hours: Fridays 4–8pm and Saturdays 12–5pm.
Warm Springs Gallery & Garden Café
6 minutes/2 miles from GNMC
This fine arts gallery in the town of Warm Springs is dedicated to the promotion of national and international artists. Its galleries exhibit a diverse roster of established and emerging artists, specializing in Virginia landscape paintings and also exhibiting fine crafts. Upstairs, there is a café and shop where you can find gifts, grab a pastry to go, or have lunch. There’s even a cottage available for short-term stays on the property.
Weekend hours: Fridays 2–8pm | Saturdays 12–8pm
Rock Roadhouse Winery and Charcuterie Bar
7 minutes, 3 miles from GNMC
Rock Roadhouse’s wines, family-made from grapes grown in the area, are crafted free of artificial ingredients. Varieties include Chardonnay, Vidal Blanc, Traminette, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc, and blends. Sample them in downtown Hot Springs, which offers tastings, wine by the glass or the bottle, and a variety of charcuterie, cheese, and chocolates.
Weekend hours: Fridays 2–8pm | Saturdays 12–8pm
Moseymore Lavender Farm
23 minutes/14 miles from GNMC
One of the newest agricultural destinations in Bath County, Moseymore will celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting and a variety of vendors on June 7. Lavender— often used in aromatherapy as well as in lotions, soaps, and cooking— is associated with relaxation and stress relief, and the owners invite you to experience the ease and joy their farm has to offer by walking among the lavender fields, cut fresh flowers in season, hike the on-site trails, and rest beneath their giant oak trees.
Weekend Hours: Fri-Sat-Sun 10am – 4pm
DINING NEARBY
These restaurants are just a few minutes from Garth Newel. There are also some wonderful options a bit further afield, but we decided to focus on the ones closest to us.
The Tavern at the Inn
6 minutes/3 miles from GNMC
Serving hearty tavern food with a European twist, along with some Southern specialties such as biscuits and gravy for breakfast, The Tavern is a welcoming spot located within the Inn at Warm Springs. Hours vary by day of the week, so it’s best to check the website. Reservations are encouraged.
Milk House Market at the Old Dairy
6 minutes/3 miles from GNMC
Set in a well-kept old milking house, this casual-cozy restaurant is known for its scenic lunch with craft sandwiches and salads, and dinner offerings such as small plates, craft pizzas, and weekly specials. The Old Dairy Community Center, built in 1928 and restored in 2007, once supplied dairy products to the Homestead Resort and is now a popular venue for events and gatherings. Open 10am – 8pm seven days a week.
Waterwheel Restaurant 
6 minutes/3 miles from GNMC
Offering farm-to-table dining at its finest, the award-winning Waterwheel Restaurant is in an iconic gristmill built more than a century ago in Warm Springs. The atmosphere is relaxed yet elegant, and the talented culinary team creates everything from scratch. Reservations strongly recommended. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 5pm through closing, with last seatings at 8:30 or 9pm depending on the day of the week.
HISTORY
Bath County Historical Society Museum and Research Library
5 minutes/2 miles from GNMC
A great place to while away an hour or two, the Museum houses an excellent collection of period furniture, memorabilia, clothing, household items, agricultural implements, historical photographs, and displays tracing Bath County’s history. Its research center is an amazing resource for researchers and genealogists. The retail area features books, brochures, and reprints particular to the county. Admission is free. Hours: Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm.
Bath County Courthouse
5 minutes/2 miles from GNMC
Next door to the museum, you will see the Bath County Courthouse, a two-story red brick Classic Revival building designed by TJ Collins & Son and constructed in 1913–14. A Union general in the Civil War, Collins afterward became a noted architect and settled in Staunton, Virgina. He is credited with the design of numerous courthouses around the state and more than 200 buildings in Staunton.
Humpback Covered Bridge
41 minutes/26 miles from GNMC
Humpback Covered Bridge, built in 1857, is the oldest covered bridge in Virginia and the only covered, humpback bridge remaining in the United States. Listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places, it is now part of a five-acre wayside park featuring picnic tables, restrooms, and a unique LOVEworks sign. Free; always open.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Garth Newel Trail
at GNMC
Even if you’re a regular at Garth Newel concerts, you may not know that there is a walking trail you can enjoy while here. It starts above Herter Hall and takes you around the 114-acre Garth Newel property. Wildlife abounds, and the serenity and views are excellent. Plus, there are welcoming wooden benches along the way. We’re so very fortunate to be stewards of this amazing 114-acre property, and we love to share it. Come any time! The grounds are always open.
Flag Rock Loop Trail
7 minutes/3 miles from GNMC
This 3.2-mile loop offers exhilarating views of the Warm Springs Valley. Considered a moderately challenging route, it includes a steep climb up the mountainside. It’s worth it! Park at the trailhead on Sam Snead Highway, or at the Milk House Market at Old Dairy, where you can pick up to-go for a picnic stop for lunch afterward. Free; always open.
Hidden Valley Recreation Area
17 minutes/9 miles from GNMC
Hidden Valley is a popular camping and hiking spot for good reason. Vast fields of wildflowers attract butterflies, and forested areas offer cool shade and bird song. There are several interesting trails, including the popular Swinging Bridge 3-mile loop, with a picturesque steel cable bridge, and the 4-mile Jackson River Gorge trail. The valley is also a historic location with a restored antebellum mansion, Warwickton—now an inviting B&B— where the film Sommersby, starring Jodi Foster and Richard Gere was filmed. For more information, check out this Blue Ridge Country article. No fee for day use.
Jackson River Scenic Trail
17 minutes/10 miles to closest trailhead
Do you love biking or walking through the forest along a scenic river? The Jackson River Scenic Trail is Virginia’s newest rails-to-trails project, with mostly flat terrain and finely crushed gravel surface that make this trail accessible and family-friendly. It extends from Covington north to the Cedar Creek trailhead in Bath County. Views include waterfalls, rugged cliffs, distant mountains, and beautiful forests. If you want to bike but don’t want to bring one with you, rent one from Alleghany Outdoors—they can set you up with traditional or electric bikes. Open year round; free.
Falling Springs Waterfall
23 minutes/15 miles from GNMC
You don’t have to hike to see one of the largest falls in Virginia, described by Thomas Jefferson as a “remarkable cascade.” When Jefferson surveyed the falls, they fell 200 feet to the valley below, but 20th-century mining operations necessitated the relocation of the falls where it now plunges only 80 feet. The overlook is just a short walk from a parking area just off Route 220 (Sam Snead Highway), and the grounds offer picnic tables. Open year-round; free.
Paddle or Tube on the Jackson River
32 minutes/20 miles from GNMC
The Jackson River is great for canoeing, kayaking, and tubing, with impressive scenery, fun rapids (Class I and II), normally crystal clear water, and amazing cliffs and mountain views. Alleghany Outdoors outfitters, based on the Jackson near Covington, offers guided kayak, canoe, and tubing trips. Different length trips are available, starting at 1.5–2 hours up to a 4–5-hour trip.
Lake Moomaw
32 minutes/18 miles from GNMC
Lake Moomaw, a large reservoir formed by damming the Jackson River, is usually uncrowded and offers serenity and natural beauty along its 43 miles of shoreline. There are multiple swimming beaches, fishing piers, campgrounds, and scenic trails. If you’d like to get out on the water, you can rent a kayak or canoe from Alleghany Outdoors. Some areas are open year-round, while others close during the winter.
Douthat State Park
35 minutes/23 miles from GNMC
Another great spot for swimming, hiking, fishing, and boating, Douthat State Park gets great reviews not only for its natural beauty but also for its ample activities and well-maintained facilities. The 50-acre lake has sandy beaches for swimming and is stocked with trout. There are more than 43 miles of hiking, mountain biking, and bridle trails. Boat rentals are available and, if you want to stay overnight, there are campgrounds, cabins, and lodges.
GOLF, FOOD, LODGING, AND MORE
The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa
9 minutes/4 miles from GNMC
One of the most famous historic resorts in the nation, the Omni Homestead features top-ranked golf courses, a spa, a two-acre waterpark, restaurants, shopping, and events. And, of course, comfortable and luxurious lodging. The Homestead opened a decade before the Civil War and has the largest hot springs in Virginia, which were used by Native Americans before European colonization and ever since.
Cliff View
30 minutes/20 miles from GNMC
A lovely resort whose golf course offers breathtaking views, Cliff View also has private access to the Jackson River—a fly-fishing paradise–and the Jackson River Scenic Trail. Its restaurant, The Brewhouse, is famous for its angus burgers, but there are lots of other options. Lodging is available in the Cliff View Inn.
RELAX!
The Warm Springs Pools
7 minutes/3 miles from GNMC
Just a few minutes from Garth Newel, the Warm Springs Pools offer serene relaxation in naturally warm waters fed by a 98ºF mineral spring. They have a long history: the Gentleman’s Bathhouse, with a foundation built in 1761, is the oldest spa structure in the U.S., and Thomas Jefferson spent three weeks there in 1819. The Ladies’ Pool House was built in 1836. The structures, beautifully rehabilitated in 2021, are owned by the Omni Homestead Resort. You can choose family soaking time, adult co-ed soaking time, adult soaking by gender (swimsuits optional) or, for a total mind-and-body soothing experience, a sound bath session. It’s a good idea to reserve your spot in advance. Hours: 10 am–6 pm daily.
WANT EVEN MORE INFO?
Click on the title of any attraction in the list above to go to its website. Or check out the information available from the local tourism groups for Bath and Alleghany Counties.
