Peaks Of Otter Campground — Hotel in Bedford

I recently enjoyed a fantastic 7 day stay at the Peaks of Otter campground. The RV side of the CG fit my travel van needs perfectly and the lady ranger was amazingly helpful as well as professional. My hat's off to her and the rest of the team for maintaining the facility in tip top shape. Campground area details: The trails are well maintained, the lake, picnic and display areas are first rate. Bear in mind that this facility is similar in amenities to most all of the Blue Ridge Parkway campgrounds. There isn't any electricity or water currently at the sites and the RV pads for parking are better suited for campers under 25' or so. However, there are some pull through sites for longer rigs. The bathrooms have flush toilets, sinks, hand soap dispensers and paper towels. There is an RV dump station with fresh water hook up and dumpsters are located near the exit. There isn't any carriers cell service that I'm aware of but there is wifi at the restaurant and maybe the camp store. A short one mile drive north out of the CG on the Parkway and I had 4 and 5G Verizon cell service. The shuttle ride to Sharp Top summit is unique and quiet fun. I chose to take the 1.5 mile hike back down. Take note that while on that trail a fellow hiker commented she'd seen a mother bear with three cubs so the CG warning signs to properly stow your food is warranted. In short, this is true camping at it's best, not glamping. Come here to clear your head, step away from the pressures of everyday life and live in the moment. One disclaimer: my campsite was absolutely ideal for me so I can't share the number or you might reserve it, sorry....

This is primitive car camping. If you don't know what that means, "car camping" means you have your own parking spot, very close to the place where you will put your tent (most of these sites have a small up or small down to traverse to get to the site, with a few rough stairs). 'Primitive" means that there is no electricity or water anywhere near your site. You will not be able to charge your phone. It also means that you should be prepared for very limited bathrooms/bathhouses (in this case, sporadically placed bathrooms with flush toilets and sinks).

If primitive car camping is what you want, I highly recommend this campground. Most of the sites are roomy and shaded. Lots of birds! Quiet! There are both reserveable and first-come-first-served sites. Loop A is closer to the road, and the sites aren't as nice, but it is also generator free. The sites in Loop B are nicer, but presumably someone camping next to you could use a noisy generator. A number of hiking trails are available within a reasonable driving distance.

There are bears. Be prepared to closely follow protocol. Bear boxes are scattered throughout the grounds.

Good plan: Camp here. Hike the next day. Go to the local YMCA and pay a few bucks for a shower. Camp for night 2....

We stopped for 2 nights after being on Skyline Drive. We jumped off at Rockfish Gap to get to Route 81 because there were trees down on upper part of Blue Ridge Parkway. Our route took us through Buchanan.||||There are numerous signs posted regarding vehicles prohibited from driving Route 43 up to the Parkway. BELIEVE THEM!!||||Our RV is 23 feet which was allowed........but it was tortuous with very sharp bends and steep inclines and we went slow to be able to make it. Fortunately, not many people were using this route at the time. Larger RVs were trying to come down and brakes were burning.||||I would not try this route in my RV again!!!||||Now to the campground....not many people there so we had our pick of spots. We found one that was somewhat level...there were not many and we tried several before settling on Loop T Site 9. ||||This CG is in disrepair but functional. Roadways have serious potholes and ruts. No RV utilities as advertised. Bathrooms were wet and dirty in October. Water is available at a spigot.||||The saving grace were the hikes. We hiked Flat Top Trail from the CG and made about 1400 vertical feet but were gassed about 200 vertical feet from top and returned. In late afternoon, we walked the Abbott...