Lake Moomaw & George Washington National Forest
Bath County Travel Guide: Bath County Overview | Garth Newel | Lake Moomaw & George Washington National Forest | Hidden Valley | The Homestead | Jefferson Pools | Warm Springs Gallery | Warm Springs Mountain Preserve | Bath County History | Douthat State Park
Take a beautiful, scenic drive from the Inn at Gristmill Square bed and breakfast to Lake Moomaw, a 2,530-acre lake almost completely surrounded by the Allegheny Mountains of the George Washington National Forest. There are 43 miles of undeveloped, wooded shoreline. This drive will take you to the Bolar Flat recreation area with a picnic area and a four-lane boat ramp, courtesy dock, marina, picnic areas and Bolar Beach, with bath houses open Memorial Day through Labor Day. At the marina, you can rent pontoon boats and canoes. There are about 10 miles of maintained hiking trails here. The Loop Trail (2.1 miles) leads you to two outstanding views of Lake Moomaw: the Grouse Point Overlook and the Islands Overlook. Fishing is fantastic. The reservoir is deep enough for both warm water fish (bass, catfish, sunfish, crappie) and coldwater fish (trout). With this in mind, the lake is stocked with thousands of largemouth bass, bluegill, redear sunfish, black crappie, yellow perch and channel catfish. The Jackson River was already home to wild populations of smallmouth bass, rock bass, and chain pickerel. Lake Moomaw is also known for its trout fishery. A layer of cold, oxygenated water lies 15 feet below the surface. It is in this zone that stocked rainbow, brown, and brook trout thrive. Alewives, members of the herring family, were stocked in the early 1980's in order to establish a plentiful food base for both trout and other predators. These small, silvery fish are truly the "backbone" of the lake's sport fishery. They are abundant, ubiquitous, and, seemingly the prey of choice for trophy fish that are caught from Lake Moomaw. Don't worry about cleaning fish for dinner... return to the Waterwheel Restaurant at The Inn at Gristmill Square bed and breakfast for delicious seafood. For more info on Lake Moomaw: Warm Springs Ranger District 422 Forestry Road Hot Springs, VA 24445 (540)-839-2521 Lake Moomaw Website Also see: Hidden Valley Recreation Area George Washington National Forest The 1-million-acre George Washington National Forest in the Allegheny Mountains is steeped in American and pre-American tradition: a one-time home for Indians, a passageway for pioneers and a battleground during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Today, the forest offers an assortment of recreational experiences in one of the East's largest expanses of pristine land. Available activities include hiking, fishing, backpacking, biking, camping, wildlife viewing and scenic driving. Once nearly denuded of all trees, the land making up the forest has sprouted a rich mantle of second-growth hardwoods and hemlocks, which drape the mountains and hills of the Blue Ridge and the Alleghenies. In all, the forest can claim some 40 species of trees and 2,000 species of shrubs and herbaceous plants. All or parts of six federally designated wildernesses lie within the forest, which is home to at least 70 kinds of amphibian and reptiles, some 200 species of birds, nearly 100 species of freshwater fish, and 55 species of mammals, from squirrels to bears. More than 900 miles of hiking trails — including 60 miles of the legendary Appalachian Trail — and 2,000 miles of roads crisscross the forest. Large swaths of the forest parallel the idyllic Shenandoah Valley and Shenandoah National Park. Leave yourself plenty of time to explore the forest and its surroundings. It can keep you busy for weeks. After a day of exploring the beautiful outdoors, return to the Inn at Gristmill Square for a wonderful dinner, a glass of wine and relaxation in your room.