Rockbridge Baths

Rockbridge County, Virginia · Near East Lexington
37.8980°N, 79.4620°W · 1,807 ft
72°F 53°F air · Good soaking weather 1,807 ft Short Walk Camping nearby (22.6 mi)
Aerial view of the ground around Rockbridge Baths LiDAR bare-earth view of the same ground around Rockbridge Baths
Aerial LiDAR bare earth

Drag the handle to compare the two views. The orange dot marks the spring, in a frame about three quarters of a mile wide.

Rockbridge Baths is a tepid spring in Rockbridge County, Virginia, about seven miles from East Lexington. Low seventies water. The name suggests a bathing place, and nothing in the record says if any facility remains. No owner, no access status, no chemistry, no USGS site, no photograph. A temperature and a pair of coordinates are what you get.

Location

The nearest road is about a fifth of a mile off, and nobody has named it on record. Elevation is around eighteen hundred feet. Around forty-four inches of rain and snow fall in a year, wet by any western standard, with the snow share about twenty-two inches, a light winter. No land unit or designation is listed.

Winter is the rated season. A short walk from the road. Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp is the camping on file, about twenty-three miles away, so an overnight means a drive. Access is not recorded. The temperature is the one measurement on record, and it has no date.

Terrain

Aircraft with laser scanners measured this ground to within inches. The scan strips out trees and buildings, leaving the bare shape of the land around Rockbridge Baths.

Setting
Hillside
The spring sits on a steep slope that climbs to the northwest.
Highest ground nearby
378 ft above the spring
Within a quarter mile, to the northwest
Cross-section through the spring

A slice through the ground from west to east, about 0.6 miles end to end.

Elevation data: USGS 3D Elevation Program. Aerial imagery: USGS The National Map. Public domain.

Heat Below
80 milliwatts per square meter of heat flow

That's close to the US average of 65. It's higher than at 15% of the springs on this site.

Heat flow measures the warmth working its way up through the ground from deep inside the earth. Where it runs high, rain and snowmelt that seep down through cracks in the rock come back up hot.

Heat flow estimate: Stanford Thermal Earth Model (Aljubran & Horne, 2024), CC BY 4.0.

Monthly Climate
31°
Jan
35°
Feb
42°
Mar
52°
Apr
62°
May
69°
Jun
74°
Jul
71°
Aug
66°
Sep
55°
Oct
42°
Nov
37°
Dec
Annual Precip: 43.9 in Annual Snow: 22.2 in
Best Time to Visit
January Air 31°F · Water 72°F · +41° contrast
February Air 35°F · Water 72°F · +37° contrast
December Air 37°F · Water 72°F · +35° contrast
January offers 43°F more contrast than July
Current Conditions
53°F
SE 16.9 mph 81% Good soaking weather
Today 77° Low 55° Mostly Sunny
Wednesday 85° Low 61° Sunny
Thursday 88° Low 65° Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 24% precip
Friday 86° Low 64° Mostly Sunny then Showers And Thunderstorms Likely 69% precip
Saturday 78° Low 64° Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers 15% precip
Nearby Camping
Nearby Camping
Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp 22.6 mi away

Overview Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and welcomes visitors to enjoy the rustic beauty and peacefulness of the area. Easy access from the interstate and close proximity to historic Lexington and Natural Bridge State Park make Cave Mountain Lake an ideal destination. Cave Mountain Lake covers seven acres and was built in the late 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps, using existing natural rock buttresses to form the 35-foot dam. A gra...

Reservable Yes
Reserve on Recreation.gov →
Temperature
72°F
Warm Hot Boiling
Water Temp 72°F (22°C)
Avg Air Temp 53°F
Above Ambient +19°F
Mild soaking conditions September
Access
Road Access Short Walk
Distance to Road 0.2 mi
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the water temperature at Rockbridge Baths?
Rockbridge Baths has a water temperature of 72°F (22°C). This is a warm thermal spring.
Where is Rockbridge Baths located?
Rockbridge Baths is located in Rockbridge County, Virginia at 1,807 feet elevation, near East Lexington. Coordinates: 37.8980°N, 79.4620°W.
How do I get to Rockbridge Baths?
Rockbridge Baths has Short Walk road access (0.2 mi from the road).
Can I camp near Rockbridge Baths?
Yes, Cave Mountain Lake Group Camp is located nearby (22.6 miles away).