Peaks Of Otter Campground — Blue Ridge Parkway

On a Thursday night in July we were the only ones at the campground. Friendly host but the campsites are not level - and we had the best of the lot - very private (if others had been there) but only one side of the picnic table was accessible (bc of the slope). Worked for our setup with rooftop tent but would’ve been difficult for someone w a camper or tent. Lodge was nice and well-kept. Hike to top of peaks was strenuous and gorgeous at the top! Decent stop right off the BRP. Wildflowers were beautiful.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is currently closed just south of the Peaks of Otter area. Traffic is being detoured just behind the campground. This was the 4th of July weekend so may be u usual, but the traffic was all day and night. There was a lot of commotion at 4 am—hikers in the parking lot to make the summit for dawn. Many sites were tiered—I had steps or the worn path down to the actual site from where I parked. The sites were spacious and well kept. Gravel tent site —common in the area but I’m not a fan. There were sites open on the holiday weekend….no wonder. Beautiful area. I’ll go back to the lodge (been there a few times) but I’ll camp somewhere else.

Campsite was clean, campsite were close to other campsite. There are no showers. The staff were friendly and were able to help with all questions I had. They went above and beyond to help make you stay a good experience.

Peaks of Otter is a Blue Ridge Parkway must see. The campground sits at the foot of the iconic Sharp Top mountain but there is hiking galore here.

Caught the foliage here in October and it was amazing and not too crowded! Facilities are clean and in good shape, you can buy firewood down the road, and there’s nice hiking nearby.

The pros:

• Clean Bathrooms with flushable toilets
• quiet campground
• close to the lodge and “store” if you need firewood or other items
• bear boxes scattered throughout the campground
• $20 per night
• BEAUTIFUL in the fall!
• they have more campsites available on FCFS basis than they do for reservations on recreation.gov

The not so great:

• the campsites can be tricky to get into depending on your vehicle. Many of the parking areas are on a hill.

Overall, I would stay here again!

I have to admit that it was an amazing campsite! Double decker with picnic table, lantern pole, and fire pit up stairs and over looking your paved campsite. We were walking distance to the dumpster and public bathroom ( no showers). It also offered no hookups which was fine, there was a dump station on site… The biggest downer for us was just getting to and leaving the site! RVLife took us up and down some insane switchbacks that were just not appropriate for anything larger than maybe 30ft tip to tail?? I wouldn’t advise staying here unless you’re a class B/C, pop up, or 20ft TT. Lodge is nice and has decent prices.

A lot of sites. Very clean. You can buy wood at the hotel restaurant down the street. There weren't a lot of people. We had a big site, and the parking was flat for our van. Lots of little animals to watch and many deer.

On the Blue Ridge Pkwy. 10 miles from Bedford VA. No electricity, no showers, and barely an internet signal. Had to go to Bedford or south 4 miles to an overlook to connect. That said, I stayed two weeks and made it work. Showers at the Y in Bedford and internet at the library to work. Beautiful views and lots of wildlife. Saw one bear. So if you don't mind some inconvenience I highly recommend. The rangers were very friendly and helpful. The bathrooms were spotless!

I lived this campsite. The hosts were knowledgeable and helpful. There’s a lot of tree coverage- watch for ticks. Proper bear protocol is a must.

Peaks of Otter campground was built on the side of the mountain, many sites are terraced.   Your RV is on one level and your picnic table and grill are on another. Some sites are pull through and others are back in.  Few are level.  Make sure and bring your leveling blocks with you. Our 23ft. trailer and truck just fit in site T44. Once you are all set up and find a space to fit in you are good to enjoy a very pretty and shady campground.  There are no hookups so be prepared.  We stayed in the T loop for trailers, it was just up over the hill from the main road, there was traffic noise until late in the evening and then started again in the early morning.  We enjoyed the hiking trail to the restored farm stead and walking around the lake at the lodge. This is a great place to stop on your trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Picked for price

Quiet

Enjoyed Blueridge parkway

NIce retreat in SW Virginia

Sites were very clean and well taken care of. There are tons of campsites available but they are spaced out enough to still feel secluded. Great location in relation to several popular trails. Will definitely be returning.

Had a herd of deer come through in the middle of the night and sniff the tent and grunt! Kids were wonderfully freaked out!

This was an awesome stay. Went with my friends and my sisters and I really loved this place. It wasn’t crowded, the staff was super friendly, and the sites were all reallt nice. There was a campstore, but not much else there besides hiking. Bring you own fire wood because it was like $8.50 per bundle. 

Definitely check out sharp top and flat top hikes. Both were beautiful, but slightly difficult so just be prepared. Also bring bug spray because the flies were terrible at the top. There’s a nearby winery too. 

Really amazing stay!

This is a huge campground it has 137 sites that is right in between two mountains. Each site has picnic tables, lantern poles, tent pads, food storage lockers, and campfire rings. 63 of their sites are available for advanced reservation and then 79 first come-first serve basis. The bath house has flush toilets, water spigots, but no showers. There is also no electric, water, or sewer hook-ups.

Lots of hiking trails, but make sure you look at the map because we unfortunately did not look at it well enough and thought that the trail was a loop when it led to the opposite side of the mountain and we had to hitch hike back to the campsite. The trails are well marked and lead to awesome views. Rate is $20 a night.

Cute little Mountain Campground. Tucked into the hillside, and only about 4 other campers while we were there, so it really felt like we had backpacked to the backcountry, when really we just drove up and set up the tent! Bathrooms were running water, but no showers and could use some updating (broken tiles, latches on doors, etc.) but all cosmetic. Definitely not the worst we saw on our 3 week trip, and the quiet greenness of the sites made up for it!

It was such a nice area and a great hike. The hike was long and steep at times but it was so beautiful and nice. Loved this area

Very territorial deer, will stalk you on way to dumpster!

I was pleased with my campsite and the campground as a whole. Most of the area is in full shade which is great for the hot summer months. The host was very friendly and helpful, and he made regular rounds, probably every 2 hours, to make sure everything was fine. It was quiet and uncrowded.

As much as I enjoyed my stay, I have to give POO (yes, they really do use that abbreviation 😂) 4 stars because 1) there are no showers and that’s a big deal if you’re staying more than a night or two; 2) the sites and tent pads were pretty small, a 4p tent is about all you can fit; 3) food lockers are shared between several sites; and 4) it’s not a good campground for hammocks.

We enjoyed our Peaks of Otter Campground stay. This was the first Campground that my wife saw so many bear boxes which freaked her out, but we had a good time. We enjoyed the walking trails around the water.

We didn't take advantage of hiking Sharp Top because we had a little person with us who was a bit high maintenance. We would come back again, but only if it were just the two of us, no kiddo. They can't ride bikes or scooters in the campground. Campground definitely more for adults only.

Be sure to bring supplies that you need with you, it is a bit of a drive to anything else.