Peaks Of Otter - Johnson Farm And Harkening Hill Trail

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View fullsize A fall view of Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter

A fall view of Sharp Top at the Peaks of Otter

UPDATED: 2/4/2023

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First things first. What on earth are peaks of otter? The “peaks” are a series of three mountains called Sharp Top, Flat Top, and Harkening Hill, all of which are hike-able. There are several theories on the origin of the inclusion of “otter” - one is that it originates from a Cherokee word ‘otari', which means a ‘high place’. There is another theory that early Scottish settlers brought the place name from their homeland.

At the base of the peaks is Abbott Lake and a lodge that has been owned by different groups over the years and typically offers lodging and a restaurant. The view during peak leaf season in the fall is simply stunning. In our time living in the area, we’ve done several trips out to take in the colors.

View fullsize Thistles can be painful but their flowers are beautiful!

Thistles can be painful but their flowers are beautiful!

View fullsize A late summer hike along the Harkening Hill trail at the Peaks of Otter.

A late summer hike along the Harkening Hill trail at the Peaks of Otter.

View fullsize Sometimes you see beauty in the strangest of places. Tree trunks are especially interesting.

Sometimes you see beauty in the strangest of places. Tree trunks are especially interesting.

peaks of otter - harkening hill trail and balance rock

In August 2014, my mother-in-law and I hit the area trails and, upon arriving, decided upon a route that combined the Harkening Hill and Johnson Farm Trails. You can check out the other trails and a rough map here. Our route in total was about 4.5 miles. The Harkening Hill portion of the trail winded its way up the hill fairly gradually, though clearly up-hill. We passed through a number of spiderwebs across the trail, suggesting to me that it is perhaps one of the less popular trails in the area. To me, this is a positive!

View fullsize Rock outcroppings are a common sight along the Blue Ridge - this one is on the Harkening Hill Trail near Peaks of Otter.

Rock outcroppings are a common sight along the Blue Ridge - this one is on the Harkening Hill Trail near Peaks of Otter.

View fullsize Balance rock… just doing its thing.

Balance rock… just doing its thing.

At the summit is aptly named ‘balance rock’ which is definitely what it sounds like: a large boulder balanced on other rocks. It is a strange geological feature to come across in the middle of Virginia! From there, it was mostly downhill, and we veered off to the Johnson Farm trail.

peaks of otter - johnson farm trail

Johnson Farm trail includes the living history museum of the 1930s Johnson family farm. The house and surrounding structures and elements were interesting to visit and, like most living history museums, only staffed seasonally. There was a lot of beneficial historical information at the site to learn more about the life and times of the Johnson family.

I feel like most of my time there was spent imagining what living in the fairly remote spot in the 1930s must have been like. While urban areas had developed more technologies to make daily life a little easier, an isolated farm like this would have required a more difficult life for its inhabitants.

While I know that some of the more impressive scenery of other Peaks of Otter hikes are more well-known, Johnson Farm is absolutely worth the trip, whether you combine it with Harkening Hill, like we did for a longer trail, or not.

View fullsize Fall colors are often gorgeous along the Blue Ridge Parkway

Fall colors are often gorgeous along the Blue Ridge Parkway

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Check out our other posts about Virginia:

3 Days in Virginia's Staunton River State Park 3 Days in Virginia's Staunton River State Park A Spooky Ghost Tour of Roanoke A Spooky Ghost Tour of Roanoke 3 Days in Virginia's Hungry Mother State Park 3 Days in Virginia's Hungry Mother State Park 3 Days in Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake State Park 3 Days in Virginia's Smith Mountain Lake State Park Hiking Fallingwater Cascades in Bedford, VA Hiking Fallingwater Cascades in Bedford, VA Hiking Abbott Lake in Bedford, VA Hiking Abbott Lake in Bedford, VA Hiking Sharp Top Mountain in Bedford, VA Hiking Sharp Top Mountain in Bedford, VA Touring Smith Mountain Lake Dam in Virginia Touring Smith Mountain Lake Dam in Virginia 6 Days at Breaks Interstate Park (Kentucky & Virginia) - Burkes Garden - Day 6 6 Days at Breaks Interstate Park (Kentucky & Virginia) - Burkes Garden - Day 6 6 Days at Breaks Interstate Park (Kentucky & Virginia) - Day 5 6 Days at Breaks Interstate Park (Kentucky & Virginia) - Day 5
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Southeast US, United States, Virginia, Cultural History, Adventures in TravelLindseyJune 26, 2019Southeast US, United States, Virginia, Peaks of Otter, Johnson Farm, Johnson Farm Trail, Harkening Hill, Bedford VA, blog, travel blog, travel photography, travel photography blog, To Make Much of Time travel blog, Peaks of Otter hikin, Peaks of Otter hiking, hiking at peaks of otter, hiking trails in Virginia, hiking trails in Virginia mountains, hiking trails along Blue Ridge Parkway, where to hike in Virginia, old farms in Virginia, old farms in the Blue Ridge, old farms in the Blue Ridge Mountains, what to do at Johnson Farm in Virginia, Harkening Hill Trail, living history museum, where are living history museums in VirginiaComment Facebook0 Twitter Tumblr Pinterest0 0 Likes Previous

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