So Many Choices!

The Alleghany Highlands is a land of beauty, serenity, fun and adventure all rolled into one! Here you experience nature at it's best, with so many outdoor adventures and rich cultural experiences to choose from, you can't go wrong!

• History & Sightseeing - Marvel as memories of the past are revealed and memories of the future are created as you visit many of the antique stores in quaint shops and timeless country stores. Railroad buffs will find the C & O Historical Society Archives a must see, as well as a tour of the Smith Creek yard where rail cars of years past have been restored and are available for boarding. The Arts and Crafts Center in Clifton Forge changes art exhibits monthly and regionally crafted items of the highest quality await buyers. Each season, more enticing than the previous, offers opportunities for recreation and relaxing. Visit this mountain playground as seasonal changes blend gently with Spring accented by an explosion of wildflowers and the stirring of wildlife. Fish are jumping and surroundings are extra green as Spring gives way to Summer and leisurely Pursuits. Fall arrives with crisp autumn mornings ablaze with a riot of vibrant colors. As the temperature Drops and excitement grows, snowflakes dance through the sky to blanket mountains with glimmering snow.
  
  
• Hiking & Biking - Click to download the Trail Guide! (PDF: 2MB) - Take on the Alleghany Trail, or pick trails from mild to rugged at Lake Moomaw, Douthat State Park, Hidden Valley, Roaring Run Recreation Area.
  
  
• Fishing - You can fly fish on the Jackson River, rated #25 in Trout Unlimited's Guide to the Top 100 U.S. Trout Streams or try your luck in one of the areas many lakes, streams, and rivers.
  
  
• Golfing - Play a round at the area's newest golf course, Cliff View Golf Club, with 18 unique and challenging holes, and breathtaking mountain views. Try your luck at one of the area's two 9-hole courses, Alleghany Country Club or Cliftondale Country Club or play a round at the nationally known Homestead and Upper and Lower Cascades.
  
  
• And much, much more!

Brochures:

• Alleghany Magazine 2009 (4.8MB PDF)
• Alleghany Mountains (3.7MB PDF)
• Birding (2.7MB PDF)
• Wildflowers (2.7MB PDF)
• Virginia's Western Highlands (1.3MB PDF)
• Virginia's Covered Bridges (700K PDF)

Area Attractions:

Humpback Bridge
Humpback Bridge is the only covered bridge of its type of construction now standing in the United States. Located in Alleghany County, just west of Covington, it was built in 1857. The 100-foot-long, single-span structure is four feet higher at its center than it is at either end, thus the name, “Humpback.”

Lake Moomaw
Lake Moomaw provides year round boating, water sports, fishing, hunting, camping, picnicking and hiking. This 2,530 acre lake has a 43 mile shoreline and is a part of the Gathright Wildlife Management Area in Alleghany and Bath Counties. James River Ranger District (540) 962-2214; Warm Springs Ranger District (540) 839-2521.

Falling Springs
The Falls located north of Covington on Rt. 220 provide a peaceful, scenic wayside for tourists. In 1778 Thomas Jefferson described Falling Springs as a “remarkable cascade...falling over a rock about 200 feet to the valley below.”

Douthat State Park
Douthat State Park, located in Alleghany and Bath Counties, is one of the six original Virginia State Parks opened in 1936. The facilities, designed by the National Park Service, include trails, a dam and spillway, cabins, a lodge, a swimming beach, picnic areas and other support facilities. The park maintains 43 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails with some spectacular overlooks. Enjoy dinner in Douthat Lakeview Restaurant as you view the beautiful reflection of the mountains in our 50-acre trout stocked lake. Enjoy a day of fun in the sand and sun and swimming at the beach. Visit the Camp Store and Boat Dock to rent rowboats, canoes, paddle boats, funyaks, hydro-bikes, fishing poles and mountain bikes.

The Historic Masonic Theatre: Alleghany Highlands Center for the Performing Arts
The Historic Masonic Theatre: Alleghany Highlands Center for the Performing Arts, circa 1905, in Clifton Forge serves up live entertainment and good country music. The theatre is home to the Virginia Opry and the Southern Gospel Review. Call (540) 863-2500 or visit www.CliftonForge.org for more information.

Alleghany Highlands Arts Council
For forty-seven years, the Alleghany Highlands Arts Council has brought inspiring, live professional performing arts events to the community. The Performing Arts Series has been recognized as one of the most highly successful entertainment and cultural series in the state.

Fall Foliage Festival
Clifton Forge, Virginia - The Annual Fall Foliage Festival sponsored by the Shrine Club will be in the Downtown Historic District. Artisans, craftsmen, antique dealers, and flea market style vendors occupy the north side of Ridgeway Street, parts of Main and Commercial and also the three public parking lots. Crafters are invited to register early. Call (540) 962-2178 for an application.

Covington Lumberjacks
The Lumberjacks have dazzled the fans in Covington, drawing over 20,000 fans each season at Casey Field.

Jackson River Sports Complex
The Jackson River Sports Complex is located in Covington off Edgemont Drive directly across from Applied Extrusion Technologies, Inc. The sports complex offers upscale playground equipment, archery, open turf sports (soccer, flag football, field hockey), tennis courts, and basketball courts, outdoor fitness equipment, shelter, restroom and concession facilities.

Jackson River Trail
The Jackson River Trail is a 17-mile trail in Alleghany County, Virginia, which runs from Covington, Virginia to the Coles Point Recreation Area at Lake Moomaw. The Trail, which was developed from an old railroad bed, provides access to many natural, historic and scenic resources. The Jackson River, running adjacent to the Trail, contributes a distinct and scenic landscape feature, while providing a natural habitat for reproducing wild trout. The first seven miles is now open to the public for those who enjoy hiking, biking, and nature walks.

Alleghany Highlands YMCA
The YMCA is a "Christian Association." It is not a church... not a religion. YMCA's inquire little about who you are and what you are, but much about what you wish to become. It is a grouping of persons, of all ages, who desire to improve themselves, and their world, by doing things in an atmosphere which reflects the very best Judeo-Christian traditions. YMCA programs and membership are affordable to the entire community. For more information please call (540) 962-YMCA.

The Homestead
This resort offers vacation packages, shopping, fine dining, three 18-hole golf courses and one of the finest ski runs in the entire South. Hot Springs, Virginia 24445 (800) 336-5771