The house and surrounding structures and elements were interesting to visit and, like most living history museums, only staffed seasonally. Modern visitors can stay the night at historic Peaks of Otter Lodge, explore the visitor center, visit Johnson Farm, or hike a trail. Johnson's Orchards is a family owned and operated farm. The Peaks of Otter. The atmosphere and staff make you feel at home from the moment you walk through the door. T he Peaks of Otter - Sharp Top, Flat Top, and Harkening Hill - have dominated the view in this region of Virginia for centuries, first attracting the attention of Native Americans who saw the area as a rich hunting ground. At the base of the mountain from Peaks of Otter, the Johnson’s Orchards truly provide an amazing view of the natural beauty of the area. By the early 1900s the Peaks of Otter became a popular local tourist spot and became especially noticed by the National Park Service. The Johnson Farm barn at the Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Stay to the right as the first trail comes in from the left (this is the return portion of the Johnson Farm Trail), but bear left when coming to the second intersection. The Peaks of Otter TRACK Trail follows the Abbott Lake Trail for an easy 1-mile loop around the lake, and then the Johnson Farm Trail for a 1.8-mile loop that passes through Johnson Farm - a mountain farmstead that exists today as it did in the 1850's. The Johnson Farm, located at the Peaks of Otter, is one of the most fun excursions your family can take along the Blue Ridge Parkway. For Accommodations, Camping, B&Bs, Vacation Rental Houses & Motels. Famous naturalists and such notable historic figures as Thomas Jefferson and Robert E. Lee wrote about or visited the Peaks of Otter during their lives. Enjoy a specialty drink or craft beer in the Peaks Bar & Lounge while gazing out at majestic Sharp Top Mountain. Visit Website > View Details > ... Johnson Farm Trails. Visitors to Peaks of Otter follow a long-standing tradition of tourism. The summit offers an impressive 360-degree view of the Peaks of Otter area, the Piedmont to the east, and the Shenandoah Valley with the Allegheny mountains to the west. It boasts thousands of fruit trees, grape vines, creeks, ponds and majestic views. (The trail to the right goes .1 mile to the Peaks of Otter Lodge.) A nice, often-forgotten or ignored trail at the Peaks of Otter. Experienced hikers/trail runners might rate this as moderate; others would probably say it's demanding. A school and a church stood near the current site of the Peaks of Otter Lodge. Abbott Lake, the lake at the base of the peaks, was man made and created in 1964 along with the official Peaks of Otter Lodge, which still stands today. Johnson's Orchards is a family owned and operated farm. Peaks of Otter Hiking Trails Peaks of Ottter Winery and Johnson’s Orchard is one of Bedford’s most unique places to visit. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, the folks at the orchard tend several heirloom varieties of fruit trees, creating delicious products from jams and jellies to wine via the Peaks of Otter winery, located on-site. John T. Johnson bought this farmstead in 1852, having been carved from the wilderness 85 years earlier by Thomas Wood. Enjoy all three or just have a leisurely walk around the lake. Johnson's Orchards is a family owned and operated farm. Peaks of Otter Peaks of Otter is formed by three mountains with Abbott Lake in the center valley - Sharp Top Mountain (3,875 feet), Flat Top Mountain (4,001 feet), and Harkening Hill (3,372 feet). With an exciting history dating back to the 16th century, the Peaks of Otter area has been home to the Johnson Farm and Orchards since the 1800s. Visit Website > View Details > Liberty Lake Park. The old family homestead Elmo’s Rest is the perfect place to start your marital journey. visitbedford.com Let us be part of your enchanted story. Blue Ridge Parkway – Peaks of Otter Trails. Peaks of Otter Visitor Center Harkening Hill is also in the shadow of Sharp Top, the tallest (at an elevation of 3,862 feet) and most popular of the three mountain peaks, which stands tall just across the parkway. Hotels near Johnson's Orchards: (4.99 mi) Vanquility Acres Inn & Peaksview Cottages (3.64 mi) Peaks of Otter Lodge (0.14 mi) Elmo's Rest at Peaks of Otter Winery (1.11 mi) Reba Farm Inn (6.65 mi) The Forget-Me-Not Bed and Breakfast; View all hotels near Johnson's Orchards on Tripadvisor Cold bottles and wine by the glass are available. The old family homestead Elmo’s Rest is the perfect place to start your marital journey. There are two ways to access the 1.5 mile Johnson Farm Loop Trail. Johnson farm at Peaks of Otter Traveling on this trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway is actually a return to my childhood. 85554 Blue Ridge Parkway. This adds an extra.6-mile, round trip, to the hike. From the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center (MP 85.9) a.3-mile connector trail leads to the start of the Johnson Farm Loop Trail. Our farm is located in the foothills of the, The 200+ acres have around 7500 apple trees with almost 200 different varieties planted. The Johnson Farm, one of the few reminders of the old community, supplied fruit and vegetables to the hotel. peaks of otter, virginia, united states, american victorian engraving, 1872 - peaks of otter stock illustrations Park ranger and girl drawing at the Art Fest at Abbott Lake. Peaks of Otter Winery’s mission is to be good stewards of the land, the fruit, the community, and the consumer. Hike the Johnson Farm Trail that passes through a mountain farmstead that exists today as it did in the 1930's. We have an apple we developed on site and named the ‘Gold Nugget’ in honor of the Beale Treasure. T he Johnson Farm, accessible by trail from the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center, is the one remaining property from the community that existed around this vacation resort prior to the building of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Apple cider donuts available while they last. This hidden gem will give you all of the WanderLove feelings. Other facilities include picnic sites and shelters, a … If you are a lover of wine or apples, Peaks of Otter Winery is the ultimate day trip for you! Our farm is located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and at the foot of the Peaks Of Otter, about 8 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway and 7 miles from the National D-Day Memorial WE ARE OPEN EVERY DAY RIGHT NOW 10 to 5. To make all who come feel special, valued, appreciated and a part of this family farm. To produce wines that are pleasant and fun to make, taste, sell, and drink. Not as steep or rocky as the other 2 peaks. 939 Burks Hill Rd. Hotels near Johnson's Orchards: (7.98 km) Vanquility Acres Inn & Peaksview Cottages (5.82 km) Peaks of Otter Lodge (0.22 km) Elmo's Rest at Peaks of Otter Winery (1.78 km) Reba Farm Inn (8.85 km) The Roost Bed and Breakfast; View all hotels near Johnson's Orchards on Tripadvisor Allow two hours for hiking up and one hour for hiking down. Our farm has been used by Unsolved Mysteries, in 1987, the BBC in 1999, Fox in 2000, the Travel Channel in 2002, and a Korean film crew in 2003 for their filming of the Beale Treasure. The Peaks of Otter village supported a school, a church, two mills, an Odd Fellows Lodge and the Hotel Mons. This area includes a 62-table picnic area, camp store, and 141-site campground, which features 53 RV/Trailer sites. They are actually a series on mountains overlooking the town of Bedford. The Park also offers the outdoor enthusiast lodging at the popular Peaks of Otter Lodge or campground. Peaks of Otter Winery and Orchards, a six generation family farm locate in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the foot of the Peaks of Otter. The Johnson Farm Trail begins at the visitor center and goes by two trail intersections in .25 mile. They include Sharp Top (altitude 3,875 feet); Flat Top (4,004 feet) and Harkening Hill (3,375 feet). By 1930 a community of over twenty self reliant families populated the area, including the last of the Johnson family, whose farm is The Johnson farm dates back to 1852. View Map > Visit Website > View Details > Elk Run Loop Trail. I have a connection to those mountain farms of North Carolina as my Father was born and raised on one and I remember spending time there off and on in the late 1950's.… JOHN H. BOWMAN The Johnson Farm sheltered three generations of the Johnson family, and today it is a living history farm during the summer where you can play games, help work the garden, or just sit on the porch and relax in a rocking chair. This study of the historic resources and historic structures of the Johnson Farm at the Peaks of Otter is the result of a cooperative agreement between the Blue Ridge Parkway of the National Park Service and the Appalachian Studies Program of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg. Bedford, VA 24523. Family talking to a park ranger at Peaks of Otter, Nature Center. Numerous hiking opportunities range from very demanding hikes up high mountain peaks to the short flat trail around Abbott Lake. Pick 8 wines for a sample flight to try our wines. The 200+ acres have around 7500 apple trees with almost 200 different varieties planted. Nearest u-pick farms to Appleseed Country ' Johnso's Orchards and Peaks of Otter Winery. There are creeks meandering thru the hills of ‘Appleseed Country’ refreshing a herd of cattle, a flock of sheep, burros, goats, and other domestic animals and wildlife. Gross Orchards (6.7 mi) Scotts Strawberry Farm (7.8 mi) Kennedy's Orchards (8.4 mi) Layman Family Farms, LLC (12.1 mi) TLC Organic Blueberry Orchard (15.1 mi) peaks of otter - johnson farm trail Johnson Farm trail includes the living history museum of the 1930s Johnson family farm. It boasts thousands of fruit trees, grape vines, creeks, ponds and majestic views. The story behind the unsolved mystery of Beale's treasure, We are open 12pm to 5pm daily until January, Starting in January we will be open Sat and Sunday 12pm to 5pm. Starting in the 1800s, the surrounding community opened their homes and lodges to guests hoping to relax and rejuvenate in the mountains. Another neat trip in the area- you can go to the Peaks of Otter and hike up to Johnson's Farm, where the ancestors of the Johnson's Orchards folks first settled- it's part of the Park Service and they have an interpreter there from Spring through mid October to show you through the house. U PIC AND U SELECT AVAILABLE. What exactly are the Peaks of Otter? The hike: For my general comments on Peaks of Otter, see the Fallingwater Cascade Trail description.Though it does not lead to one of the three major peaks, the Johnson Farm Trail leads to another point of interest, the restored Johnson farm. Johnson Farm Loop portion is more traveled than the Harkening Hill part. U PIC AND U SELECT AVAILABLE If you park at the Peaks of Otter Visitor Center on the west side of the Parkway, a short connector trail at the end of the sidewalk leads to the trailhead. Johnson's Orchards & Peaks of Otter Winery 2122 Sheep Creek Road, Route 680 Bedford, VA 24523 United States Telephone: (540) 586-3707 Website: www.johnsonsorchards.com Visiting: Not permitted Peaks of Otter Campground | MP 85.6 Sharp Top is historically significant as it marked the northernmost boundary of the Cherokee Nation. 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