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No one knows for certain when the first visitors came to the Peaks of Otter. For more than
8000 years people have traveled through the area searching for both their
livelihood and recreation. Native Americans passed through the area while
hunting, and the earliest European settlers began arriving in the mid-1700's.
By 1834 the first inn had opened, and by the turn of the century the Peaks
of Otter had become a popular tourist destination.
Today the Peaks of Otter is still a major developed area on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The motor
road follows the crest of the ridge into the Peaks area, where Highway
43 joins the Parkway from Bedford. In the valley formed by Sharp Top,
Flat Top and Harkening Hill, the area has a lodge and restaurant, visitor
center, campground, picnic area and historic farm. The mountains all have
trails ranging from less than a mile to more than four miles, and there
is nearby access to the 2144 mile Appalachian Trail. In addition, the
area is almost totally surrounded by the Jefferson National Forest, which
only adds to its appeal as a destination for Parkway visitors.
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