Breathing Cave
Bath County, Virginia
Breathing Cave is privately owned. Access to Breathing Cave depends on everyone's continued good behavior. Thank you for respecting the cave and the landowners.
The BCCS assists the owners of Breathing Cave by maintaining a kiosk and parking area. Please do not contact the owner.
Waivers are required. Please print and sign this waiver, take it to the trailhead, and leave it in the box there.
No Cave-for-Pay, no Commerical Guided Trips
Breathing Cave is absolutely NOT open for any trips where a fee has been charged by the group leader. Trips charging a fee for profit or personal gain are not allowed. No commercially guided trips, no "cave for pay". Violators will be considered illegal trespassers.
Closed for bat hibernation
The cave is open from May 15 to Sept. 15. The cave is closed at all other times to protect hibernating bats.
Waiver
Waivers are required. Please print and sign this waiver, take it to the trailhead, and leave it in the box there.
Parking
The parking area and trail to Breathing Cave have been changed by the cave owner a number of years ago.
Please only use the current designated parking area and trail. The parking is on Rt. 609 200 yards northeast of the Bath/Highland County line. (Lat 38.210655, Long -79.620752).
Coming from the northeast: The trail-head is located 3.4 miles southwest on the Burnsville Road (Rt. 609) when heading towards Burnsville, Virginia from the Rt. 678 intersection.
Coming from the southwest: The trail-head is 2.7 miles northeast from Burnsville, Virginiaon Rt. 609
Details: Look for the permission/register box (aluminum, about a foot wide and tall) mounted on a wood post (top is painted white) on the north side of road. The wood post is 30 feet off the edge of the road and it has a conservation easement sign on the road side of the post. There is a bat emblem visible from the road–not obvious (on purpose) so look carefully for the post.
There is a wide shoulder at the trail-head for plenty of parking. Make sure your vehicle is well onto the shoulder away from the asphalt. The grass may not be always be mowed but the terrain is generally level.
Trail to the Cave
The trail is now marked with 2' by 2" yellow squares with a black arrow nailed to trees marking the trail. It is extremely important to the owner for you to stay on the trail.
