Recreational Land in Bath County, Virginia

Lake Moomaw and the Gathright Wildlife Management Area

The T.M. Gathright Wildlife Management Area sits in western Bath County, some of it along the crest of Allegheny Mountain where Virginia meets West Virginia, and covers 13,428 acres -- a genuinely large public tract, divided into two separate sections by Lake Moomaw itself. The lake is a real, substantial reservoir: 12 miles long, covering 2,530 acres, with 43.5 miles of shoreline. It was created by Gathright Dam, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1967 and 1979, with the reservoir reaching full pool in 1982.

Lake Moomaw offers genuinely strong fishing -- smallmouth bass and brown and rainbow trout are the most sought-after species, alongside largemouth bass, black crappie, channel catfish, yellow perch, chain pickerel, rock bass, and various sunfish. Access into the WMA's interior is seasonal and limited: several improved access roads open only in fall and winter, while numerous gated roads and old logging roads provide extensive walking and hiking access year-round. Recreational uses on the WMA include boating, water sports, fishing, camping, picnicking, hiking, and hunting in season.

Douthat State Park, just to the east

Douthat State Park lies immediately east of the Gathright WMA, straddling the line between Bath and Alleghany counties. The park spans more than 4,500 acres and includes Douthat Lake, 72 miles of hiking trails, an amphitheater, a restaurant, 35 cabins, and kayak, canoe, and boat rentals -- a developed recreational anchor complementing the more remote, undeveloped character of the Gathright WMA and Lake Moomaw to its west.

What this means for a land buyer

If your interest in Bath County land is recreational -- lake access, hunting, fishing, or general seclusion near a large reservoir and public forest complex -- treat land near Lake Moomaw and the Gathright WMA as a genuinely distinct sub-market from the resort-driven land around Hot Springs and Warm Springs covered on the county hub. Confirm a specific parcel's actual proximity and legal access to the lake or WMA boundary directly (private lake-adjacent land here is not necessarily lakefront, since much of the shoreline itself sits within the WMA or Corps of Engineers property), and remember that access into the WMA's interior is genuinely seasonal for vehicles -- year-round access is generally on foot -- which matters if you're evaluating a remote parcel for its practical recreational usability across all seasons, not just fall and winter.