Tattered shreds of old blacktop mark the way as you approach the final ascent. I turned left for Sharp Top, but hit Buzzards Roost on the way down. We rode the bus almost to the top of this mountain, but to get to the very top, you have to hike up a steep winding trail. It is manned by one Ranger. Peaks guests can purchase round trip tickets at the discounted rate of $10 at the Sharp Top Store. Thanks for the visit! For a short paved walk, look next door to Peaks of Otter Lodge. Bedford, VA 24523. Buzzards Roost does require some rock scrambling and carefully navigating around large rocks, so it isnt for the faint of heart. Practice Leave No Trace when visiting. Sharptop Mountain. Beware of ticks and flies at the top. Get Directions. Everyone else was walking to the top. At the spur trail junction, turn left to continue to Sharp Tops bouldery peak. Rode the shuttle back down. (1), Images Peak of Otter shouldn't be Just before you get to the Peaks of Otter Lodge on the left. To get to the store, take the first right after exiting the Parkway. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. The shuttle drops hikers within 0.25 miles of the summit, for a shorter, though still strenuous climb up the stairs to the top. All Rights Reserved. Thanks for the interesting read. I believe waymarking.com has the precise coordinates. Log in, Sharp Top: An Iconic Hike to Epic 360 Degree Views, Blue Ridge Tunnel: A One-of-a-Kind Hiking and Biking Experience, Exploring Peaks of Otter: One of the Best Stops on the Blue Ridge Parkway . If you like the stair master at the gym, you will love the ups and downs of the hike. He helped us make plans, helped my granddaughter with Jr Ranger and shared how he came to be a Park Ranger. The Visitor Center was closed when we were there but we really came for the hike anyway. Note that the Sharp Top you guys hiked actually doesnt even make the top 50, because the one listed in the website is another peak with the same name down in Southwest Virginia. . As I mentioned above, there are a lot of great places nearby for a picnic or you can dine at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. We are glad we stopped in and very much enjoyed our visit. On the stone in the monument, it is inscribed From Otters Summit, Virginias Loftiest Peak, To Crown a Monument to Virginias Noblest Son. It is hard to believe that this was thought to be the highest summit. Peak of Otter shouldn't be Begins behind the visitor center. Enjoy the varied instruments, styles, and sounds of live Blue Ridge Mountain music select weekends! It is a moderately strenuous trail and is self-guiding with written displays describing the forest community. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Breathtaking views from Sharp Top--pretty strenuous hike, but our 4 yr old made it (with a 2hr nap afterward! The keurig in the room was a nice touch. This is a very popular area for birding, camping, and hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. Flat Top Trail A strenuous 4.4-mile hike to the summit of Flat Top peak. Their Lake View Restaurant serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner in-season. If your kids are fit and active, they may be able to do the entire hike. Near the top we took a side trip to Rooster Rock - this is worth the extra effort. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. (1 ), Bluff Mountain (and Alligator Back Cliffs). Concession-operated bus service (one-way or round trip) to within one quarter mile of the top is available seasonally. Every available space was taken, as was every patch of grass that could fit a vehicle. Kelly J. Mihalcoe photo Visitors to Peaks of Otter follow a long-standing tradition of tourism. Each year, he seems proud to know that he can still climb up that hill. He was working the day we hiked it this year, so he didnt get to make the trip. Lots of other folks hiked the whole way which I'm sure would be challenging. The final pick-up at the top of the mountain is at 4:30pm.If youve been to Peaks, you know how impressive Sharp Top is. Begins behind the visitor center and across from the amphitheater. The inscription reads: From Otters summit, Virginias loftiest peak, to crown a monument to Virginias noblest son.. Required fields are marked *. It's defined as the vertical distance between a peak and the lowest contour line surrounding that peak and no higher peak. Sharp Top (3,875 ft.): Pass the empty stone building (a former concession stand), then climb a few steps to the boulder-covered summit. On weekends, the parking lot can overflow. Sharp Top Trail (1.5 miles to the summit) This is the most popular trail at the Peaks and originates at the Nature Center across the Parkway from the Visitor Center. The trail is 1.6 miles to the top from the Visitor's Center. The most well-known trail of Virginia's Blue Ridge Parkway is the Peaks of Otter trail.It's a 1.5-mile hike to the summit of Sharp Top. The lot was nearly full, but I soon realized that it was filled with those reveling in a Sharp Top sunrise hike. I was so glad to have my trekking poles on the steep, uneven ground. We decided to participate in a special program w/ Thomas Jefferson aka Bill Barker through Peaks of Otter, Poplar Forest, and the National Park Service. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Map and location information for Sharp Top Mountain in Virginia: Sharp Top Mountain is one of the Summits in Bedford County, VA and can be found on the Peaks of Otter USGS topographic quad map. If youre short on time or just looking for a nice and easy way to reach the local trailheads, the Sharp Top Shuttle is just the ticket. Small gift shop, restrooms and info on That was a little disappointing I had hoped to hike Sharp Top at the peak of fall color. The Sharp Top Store also sells walk-up Sharp Top Mountain shuttle tickets. So I have done research on where this is and several of my friends are going to go in march. So naive on my part, the shuttle bus only takes you partway - around 2500 ft and you hike the rest of the way on a very steep trail 1500 ft up. I encountered few peak-bound hikers on this hike. Even though it was the second weekend of October, the leaves were still mostly green. The trail is almost all uphill, somewhat steep at times, with plenty of rocks, roots and stairs along the way. As in, gigantic boulders near the 1-mile mark. The summit of Sharp Top is impressive. He was so friendly and personable! Peak of Otter shouldn't be Just before you get to the Peaks of Otter Lodge on the left. Peaks of Otter has some of the most popular hiking trails in Virginia! We then drove a short ways the other direction from Peaks of Otter to the Cascades Trail Hike. Im glad someone thought better of the idea and closed the place down do we really need hot dogs and ice cream for sale on mountain summits? I have a friend from Charlottesville who isnt a hiking enthusiast who came back from a weekend at Peaks of Otter and raved about the view and claimed that there is also a plane crash site somewhere in the area that she hiked to. Hikers seem to enjoy quietly referring to the bus riders as cheaters. Repeat, repeat. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. As the summit draws near, youll find yourself hiking between and around gigantic boulders. Famous naturalists and such . Aconcagua mountain itself has many routes, photos, and trip reports as children. This is a steep and strenuous route and should be attempted only by those in good health. These are the paths leading up from the Sharp Top mountain bus stop. The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. A loop trail, approximately two miles long, which follows a section of the Harkening Hill loop trail. I was also thrilled that I seemed to arrive at just the right time, a few minutes before 8 am on a Saturday. Sharp Top Mountain Trail These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. There is no drinking water available on the summit, so carry plenty with you. To reach the trailhead, cross the Blue Ridge Parkway on a pedestrian sidewalk. I was very proud of them! A right turn leads to the shuttle bus shelter. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Once you leave the Roost, go back to the junction and take a left down the trail to make your way back to the car. Peaks of Otter Lodge Some stone steps, then a stretch of hiking trail, then more stone steps. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. So many upwards hikers commented on them! The shuttle driver is very good given that the road is very narrow and steep. Its like the feel of my feet doesnt match what my eyes are seeing. Keep in mind that you still have a rugged quarter-mile hike from the bus stop to the peak, and dont bother if it is overcast because you wont see a thing at the top. The Peaks of Otter Visitor Center is small but the ranger is very knowledgable and friendly. My family used to regularly have picnic lunches at Peaks of Otter, so this is a place Ive been visiting all of my life. It's a tough walk, especially if you have any issues with your knees but I had my cane which helped immensely. After lunch, we walked along the water and did a bit of people watching. 28803, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. For a less crowded experience, consider relaxing at the Buzzards Roost spur rather than hiking all the way up to the summit. For a sit-down meal, look next door to the Peaks of Otter Lodge. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In the spring, the thickets of mountain laurel make this an especially beautiful hike. Trail is ADA Accessible.This is also a kid-friendly TRACK trail. For an optional detour (and overlook), follow the signed spur trail for about 600 feet to Buzzards Roost. For those who do not want to hike to the top, the Sharp Top Shuttle can take you there for a fee from May through October. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website.
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