Important Notices For This Site
| Notice |
|---|
| Seasonal Road Closures on WMAsSeasonal roads on Wildlife Management Areas are being closed early where possible due to the persistent poor winter conditions. These roads will remain closed until their scheduled spring opening the first Saturday in April. The public is asked to please use caution and if possible, avoid utilizing WMA roads that are open all year during inclement winter weather and poor road conditions. |
| Highland WMA Seasonal Access Road ClosureHupman Valley Road (seasonal access road) will be closed starting January 12, 2026, for logging operations. The area remains open to the public; no vehicular access. |
| Highland WMA Suspension Foot Bridge ClosedEffective immediately, and until further notice, the suspension foot bridge over the Bullpasture River on the Highland WMA is closed. A recent inspection of the bridge revealed significant degradation of major structural components deeming it unsafe for use. |
Description
Elevation: 2392 ft.
This extensive, 14,000+-acre wildlife management area encompasses a diversity of habitats and wildlife. Altitude within this site spans over 2000 feet, with the lowest elevation of 1800 feet along Bullpasture River to over 4000 feet at the top of Sounding Knob on the Jack Mountain Tract. In addition to riverine habitats, this site offers mature oak-hickory hardwood forests, mixed woodlands, red spruce stands, and early succession fields. Due to the varied habitats and elevation, the diversity of nesting migrants includes scarlet tanager, rose-breasted grosbeak, and Kentucky, hooded, black-throated blue, and black-throated green warblers. Common resident avian resident species include pileated woodpecker, ruffed grouse, and red-shouldered hawk. Wild turkey is also abundant throughout this area. Birding is typically best in the spring and fall, when migrant thrushes, warblers, and vireos are numerous.
Black bear, as well as red and gray foxes, make their homes in these woods, but are often elusive to the onlooker. Look for salamanders such as northern dusky and red-backed salamanders, as well as other amphibians such as pickerel frog.
Since late 2017, the Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), who owns and manages this site, has been improving habitat for golden-winged warblers in four existing forest openings along the WMA’s Jack Mountain ridgeline. These improvements include connecting two existing openings by removing trees in between them, thus creating a larger, core area of open golden-wing habitat; encouraging shrub growth through natural seed dispersal; and cutting back forest edges to create shrubby conditions. Ultimately, this project seeks to expand habitat for an existing population of golden-winged warblers breeding in the adjacent valley, so that they may colonize new areas and grow in number. In the meantime, these shrubland habitat improvements are also helping a large number of other bird species, including field sparrows, Eastern towhees, brown thrashers and warblers, such as chestnut-sided warbler and yellow-breasted chat.
Notes:
- To Access the Site: A Restore the Wild Membership, Virginia hunting license, freshwater fishing license, boat registration, or an access permit is required.
- This site may be closed during certain times of year for hunting or land management. See seasonal access information on the Highland WMA website.
- If you are visiting this site during hunting seasons, please wear blaze orange/pink for safety.
Wildlife Sightings
97 species have been reported at this site to date.
Birds Recently Seen at Highland Wildlife Management Area – Jack Mountain/Buck Hill Road:
Recent Checklists:
| Date | # of Species | Submitted By |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Sep 2025 | 21 | Gray Richardson |
| 27 Sep 2025 | 21 | Hunter Richardson |
| 26 Sep 2025 | 1 | Gray Richardson |
| 26 Sep 2025 | 1 | Hunter Richardson |
| 31 Aug 2025 | 20 | marcia Lyons |
Amenities & Accessibility
Amenities
- No Fee or Permit/Pass Requirement
Other Amenities: Camping/Lodging, Hiking Trails
Accessibility Considerations
This location does not have a Birdability Site Review available at this time
Learn more about Birdability’s efforts to map accessible outdoor spaces
Maps & Directions
Location: off SR 615/ Davis Run Rd., Warm Springs, VA 24484
There are two entrances accessible via SR 615/ Davis Run Rd. If open, a red gate leads down Buck Hill Rd deeper into the area. Slightly further north, taking Davis Run Rd leads to a clearing with parking.
From I-64 in Charlottesville/Waynesboro, continue west and take the I-81 S exit toward I-64 W/Lexington/Roanoke. Then, take exit 220 for SR 262 toward US 11. Continue onto SR 262 N for 6.6 miles. Take the US 250/Churchville Ave exit and turn left (northwest). In 30.9 miles, turn left (west) onto SR 678 and continue for 2.7 miles. Turn right (west) onto SR 615 and continue for 1.7 miles to Buckhill Rd and Davis Run Rd.
Site Information
Managed By:
- VA Dept. of Wildlife Resources
Access Requirements:
- Daily. Restore the Wild Membership, hunting license, freshwater fishing license, boat registration, or an access permit is required.
Contact Information:
- DWR Region 4 Office (Verona): (540) 248-9360; Contact Us
- Visit Website
Sites, or portions of sites, can be closed periodically for management activities. Please always check the site’s website for additional information prior to visiting.