Overlook Description
Three mountains situated in a triangular pattern form the Peaks of Otter. The mountains Sharp Top Mountain (3,875 feet), Flat Top Mountain (4,001 feet) and Harkening Hill (3,372 feet) surround a beautiful mountain lake.
Located near by at Milepost 86.0 are the Peaks Of Otter.
No one knows for certain when the first visitors came to the Peaks of Otter. For more than 8,000 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-1700s. 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 2,144 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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