House Mountain is a dominant Rockbridge County landmark. It is located 5 miles west of Lexington. Actually the mountain has two peaks with a gentle meadowland between known as "the saddle." Once a pasture and apple orchard, the saddle sits at the base of the cliffs of Big House Mountain (3,645 feet) to the west and the laurel thickets of Little House Mountain (3,386 feet) to the east.
A number of homesteads once stood high on the mountain and in the saddle. (See House Mountain Tragedy of 1846.) But in recent years wild turkey, deer, and other animals are the only inhabitants who drink from the mountain's many springs. There are large stands of scarlet and chestnut oak, tulip poplar, and table mountain pine and many saplings of American chestnut sprouting from stumps of this once donimant tree. The House Mountain sandstones were deposited over 350 million years ago when seas covered the region. See "A Wild Garden" by Royster Lyle for more on the flora of House Mountain, and the history of efforts to protect it for the future.
In 1988, a large portion of the mountain (over 800 acres including the two peaks and the saddle) came on the real estate market. The Rockbridge Area Conservation Council (RACC) and the Virginia Outdoor Foundation (VOF) decided to join together and explore ways to purchase this special part of House Mountain and preserve it for present inhabitants and future generations. During the spring of 1989 the two organizations launched a successful "Save House Mountain" campaign. With contributions from many different people, including hundreds of school children, the mountain was purchased for public use.
Management Plan
Title to the land is held by VOF which makes it state (public) property. RACC is responsible for overseeing the House Mountain Management Plan. The Plan is a simple one: preserve the natural habitat and continue the traditional uses of the mountain. The House Mountain tract shall be used only for recreational purposes and shall not be subject to vehicular traffic (except for maintenance and safety purposes). Recreational purposes include hiking, camping, mountain bicycling, horseback riding, and hunting as well as scientific, educational, and aesthetic purposes.
Directions to House Mountain Trailhead from Lexington
Go west on Route 60 (Midland Trail) about 2 miles, then turn left on Jacktown Road (Rt. 641). Go about 3.5 miles, then turn right on Saddle Ridge Road (Rt. 643). Go the to end of state maintenance.
The Trail to the SaddleThe two-mile trail to the saddle is a mountain road heading west from the end of the state road. It goes through private property in the first mile so please stay on the trail. The final mile of trail is through the public lands managed RACC. There is a camping shelter, camping sites, and spring in the saddle. Visitors may access the top of Big House Mountain via a trail that begins near the shelter.
Please be respectful of the land. Leave only footprints!
updated 4 Mar 2003
