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Only nine miles from
Liberty
House Inn,
Bedford, Virginia. Come stay with us and be pampered for
a change. See
what some of our guest say about
us. The Peaks of
Otter is formed by three mountains positioned in a
triangular pattern - Sharp Top Mountain(3,875 feet), Flat
Top Mountain(4,001 feet), and Harkening Hill (3,372
feet). A beautiful mountain lake rests at the triangle's
center. The Blue Ridge Parkway passes through mountain
passes and intersects with Virginia highway 43 at mile
marker 85.9. The Appalachian Trail passes only a few
miles to the North and can be easily accessed via the
Blue Ridge Parkway. The Peaks of Otter wilderness area is
truly one of the Blue Ridge Mountain's best-kept
secrets. The Peaks of Otter
mountains are covered almost entirely with old growth
hard wood forest except for a few mountain meadows, which
abound with wild flowers and migrating butterflies. The
Peaks of Otter area is protected and maintained by the
National Park Service and Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation.
All trails are kept in excellent condition, and Abbott
Lake well stocked with small mouth bass and bluegill.
Fishing is permitted and a special short term Virginia
state fishing license can be purchased at the lake.
Excellent camping and RV facilities are available at the
base of Sharp Top Mountain. The Blue Ridge Park Service
has created some of the best and certainly most beautiful
picnicking areas close to Abbott Lake. A babbling
mountain stream winds its way through the entire area
delighting children and adults alike with its cold,
crystal clear water. Wildlife abounds
throughout the Peaks of Otter area with the white tailed
deer leading the list. It is not unusual to see groups of
twelve or more deer grazing close by the Blue Ridge
Parkway in the early morning or evening. Birdwatchers are
never disappointed with many rare species residing or
migrating along the Blue Ridge mountain range. Even an
occasional loon can be seen on Abbott Lake and its
haunting cry heard late into the Virginia
night. A mountain farmstead,
Johnson's Farm, has been completely preserved and exists
today as it did in the mid 1800s. Free guided tours are
available in summer months. A log cabin, Aunt Polly's
Ordinary, has also been restored to it's original
condition and is located near the northeastern shore of
Abbott Lake. A Peaks of Otter camp
store provides campers and hikers with necessary
provisions, and a truly fine restaurant on the shore of
Abbott Lake is famous throughout southwestern Virginia
for its outstanding country cuisine. The restaurant is
also a favorite and welcome diversion for through hikers
along the Appalachian Trail. The Peaks of Otter
restaurant main dining room offers a striking panoramic
view of the lake with Sharp Top Mountain in the
background. The following trail
descriptions were taken from National Park Service
material available free of charge. You can receive your
own copy of this handout along with a map of the area at
the Peaks of Otter Visitors Center located along the Blue
Ridge Parkway. I have added some additional comments,
which appear in red
lettering. The
Peaks of Otter trail system truly offers everyone an
opportunity to enjoy the Virginia Blue Ridge at its very
best. Trail difficulty and length vary over a wide
range -- providing challenge to the experienced and
unparalleled opportunity for the beginner or physically
challenged. NOTE:
In 1943 a World War II B25 bomber crashed at the Peaks of
Otter on the side of Sharp Top Mountain. Most of
the wreckage remains where it came to rest over 57 year
ago. I have done extensive research on this incident and
have created a web site dedicated to the crew of this
unfortunate flight. For those of you who are interested
please go to www.wp21.com/b25crash.
You will also find many pictures of Sharp Top Mountain,
Blue Ridge Parkway and the area known as the Peaks of
Otter (Don Yeargin - Webmaster). Appalachian
Trail, can be easily accessed from the Blue
Ridge Parkway at mile marker 80.5. This is approximately
5.4 miles north of the Peaks of Otter area. A fire
service road intersects the Parkway at that point.
Proceed north up the fire road for several hundred feet
until you come to a spur trail to the right. Follow that
trail for about 0.1 mile and you will come to Appalachian
Trail shelter at Cornellus Creek. The Appalachian Trail
is only a few yards to the north. Sharp Top
Mountain,1.6 miles to the summit, is the most popular
trail at the Peaks of Otter and originates at the camp
store across the Blue Ridge Parkway from the Visitor
Center. This is a steep and strenuous trail and should be
attempted only by those in good health. Drinking water
should be carried, as none is available at the mountain
top. The mountain summit offers an impressive 360-degree
view of the Peaks of Otter area, the Piedmont to the
east, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Shenandoah Valley
with the Allegheny Mountains to the west. Allow two hours
for hiking up and one hour for hiking down. Add an extra
half-hour for the spur trail to Buzzard's Roost, a
series of large rock formations offering different views
of the Blue Ridge and Peaks of Otter areas.
Concession-operated bus service (one-way and round trip)
to the top of the mountain is available seasonally.
Hiking along the bus road is prohibited. Elk
Run Loop is 0.8 mile and begins behind the Peaks of
Otter Visitor Center located on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
It is one of the least strenuous of the local trails and
is self-guiding with written displays describing the
forest community. For a leisurely walk, allow one
hour. Harkening
Hill Loop Trail is 3.3 miles long.
Beginning
elevation is 2,550 feet with the summit at 3,372
feet. It begins
behind the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center,
Blue
Ridge Parkway mile marker
85.9, across from the
amphitheater. This woodland mountain trail is steep and
strenuous in places and climbs to a ridge where several
long distance views are possible, including a panorama of
the Johnson Farm buildings, which can be reached from the
trail. Allow
2-3 hours for this loop. This trail is my favorite for
viewing wildlife, especially deer. Turkey, grouse, and
numerous varieties of gray and ground squirrels live
along the mountain trail. Several sections run through
abandoned fields, mountain meadows, and old apple
orchards with some of the ancient apple trees still
bearing fruit. A spur
near the summit leads to Balance Rock, an immense
boulder balanced on a small rock. Johnson
Farm Trail is a loop, approximately two miles long,
which follows a section of the Harkening Hill Loop Trail.
Beginning at the north end of the Peaks of Otter Visitor
Center parking area the trail takes you 1.1 miles to the
Johnson Farm, which was started in 1852. Living history
demonstrations are presented on a seasonal basis. Allow
two to three hours for a leisurely visit. Flat
Top Mountain was designated with Fallingwater
Cascades as a continuous National Recreation Trail in
April 1982. Flat Top Mountain rises to an elevation of
4,004 feet with many scattered rock outcrops. The
Pinnacle and Cross Rock are names given to such
formations. On this trail, hikers can experience the
changing forest ecology as they climb or descend 1,600
feet from the Blue Ridge Parkway trailheads.
Most
people hike this trail by beginning at the Blue Ridge
Parkway trailhead at mile marker 83.5, beginning
elevation of 2,500 feet, and proceed south across the
mountain trail to the picnicking area below Abbott Lake
dam. It is a 4.4 mile trek, steep and strenuous in
places, and at least 3-4 hours should be planned. A loop
can be made back to the Blue Ridge Parkway trailhead (and
your car) by hiking up the Parkway, another 3.0 miles. I
would recommend this trail only to those in good health
and physical condition. It is one of the lesser-traveled
Peaks of Otter trails, however well worth the
effort. Fallingwater
Cascades Mountain Trail, the other segment of the
National Recreation Trail (see Flat Top Trail), is a loop
trail which takes hikers along cascades on Fallingwater
Creek with its huge rock outcrops clothed in rhododendron
and large hemlocks. This trail drops 260 feet below the
Fallingwater Parking Area, on the Blue Ridge Parkway;
hikers should be prepared to climb that elevation on
their return. Experiencing this mountain cascade is well
worth the effort.
The loop trail is 1.5 mile in length and can be walked in
approximately 1 hour. The trail runs parallel to the
cascades for quite a distance and is often used for
picnicking (no facilities are provided). Abbott
Lake Trail, the least difficult of these trails, is a
one-mile loop around Abbott Lake. The trail takes hikers
through a woodland forest and open field, offering a
close-up view of this picturesque lake.
This
is basically a "flat" trail with only a few very minor
hills. Some really great fishing spots exist only a few
feet from the trail on the southern side of Abbott
Lake. All Page
Copyright (1999-2000) - All Rights Reserved.
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Virginia Travel Guide and
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Virginia Travel Guide and Directory