Mountain Lake Resort

Mountain Lake Hotel and Resort - Home of the hit movie "Dirty Dancing". Mountain Lake is one of only two fresh water lakes in Virginia, and is the highest in elevation East of the Mississippi. The lake is approximately 6,000 years old and was formed along an active fault line when several earthquakes caused rock slides that dammed up the northern end of the valley.  The lake is fed by cold underground springs which rarely allow the temperature to rise above 70 degrees on the surface and 46 degrees on the bottom.  Due to a unique series of narrow channels and openings on the lake bottom the level has a history of rising and falling depending upon the direction of water flow through these channels to and from the icy-cold ground water lying deep beneath the surface of the earth.  The combination of these natural phenomena make Mountain Lake the only one of it's kind in existence!

Mountain Lake Wilderness
The 11,113-acre Mountain Lake Wilderness is the largest wilderness area on the Jefferson National Forest. Named for nearby Mountain Lake, the only natural lake in western Virginia, it consist of a highland plateau, which sits squarely on the Eastern Continental Divide. The area has diverse natural and ecological values, which include stands of virgin spruce and hemlock, a mountain bog, significantly diverse flora and fauna, and War Spur Overlook and a cliff that provides an exceptional view of much of the wilderness. Elevations vary from 2200 to 4100 feet. The area represents outstanding opportunities for primitive recreation.

New Cottages Now Open!