Read my Complete Guide to Visiting Peaks of Otter to help plan your trip! Learn more about the best time to visit, where to stay, places to eat and drink, and the top things to do at Peaks of Otter and the surrounding area. It is a great area to explore and has so much history and beauty! Hiking to each of the three Peaks of Otter is the best part, in our opinion. 😉
Harkening Hill is part of the three Peaks of Otter located within the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. It is smallest peak with a height of 3,372 feet as compared to Flat Top and Sharp Top (the other two peaks). This hike is full of fun things to see, including an old farm! Harkening Hill and Johnson Farm Loop Trail is the perfect family-friendy (and pet-friendly) hike to do year-round!
There was something special about this hike. At first, I thought it was not going to be very fun. We had a hard time finding the trailhead to Flat Top Mountain. It was rainy and cloudy. The temperatures were chilly, and of course I did not wear appropriate layers for rainy and (somewhat) cold weather conditions. I had to hit up the Peaks of Otter gift shop to buy myself sweater (and so did Vikas). Our negative attitudes changed midway through the hike. But how?
Flat Top Mountain is an amazing hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is one of three other peaks known as the Peaks of Otter. This peak compared to the other ones is special because it is the tallest, sitting at 4,001 feet, and also it comes with more solitude. Its sister mountains (Sharp Top and Harkening Hill) get a lot more attention than Flat Top does, but that’s okay! We love hiking trails that are less popular.
Bearfence Mountain Loop trail is one of our favorite hikes in Shenandoah National Park! This short hike involves a challenging rock scramble to 360-degree views and continues on to another viewpoint with 180-degree views. This is definitely the perfect hike to add to your hiking bucket list!
Are you looking for a short, easy hike to some of the most beautiful views in Virginia? Check out Stony Man! This is a great hike for beginners and is family-friendly. The Stony Man Lookout is an amazing spot to relax, watch sunset, and spend time in nature.
This was our second time hiking Old Rag Mountain together – AKA the best hike in Virginia. My husband and I first hiked to the summit of Old Rag in 2022 and loved it so much we wanted to do it again! Instead of hiking it in the middle of summer, we decided to hike it in winter. Why not make this already challenging hike a little bit more challenging?
Old Rag Mountain is our favorite hike in all of Virginia! We went of a Monday afternoon in the summer. Surprisingly, it was not very crowded. We had the best time hiking and rock scrambling to reach the summit of Old Rag!
If you’re a beginner hiker and/or rock scrambler, I’d recommend reading my How to Hike Old Rag in 2024: The Ultimate Guide! This guide explains everything you need to know about the hike, how to be prepared, and how to safely complete this hike. Old Rag is my favorite hike in Virginia, and I know you’ll love it, too!
We hiked to Hawksbill Summit which is the highest peak in Shenandoah National Park and also one of the best spots to watch sunrise in Virginia.