Near Montvale in Bedford County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Peaks of Otter
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 15, 2016
1. Peaks of Otter Marker
Straight ahead are SharpTop Mountain and Flat Top Mountain. They are two of the three prominent summits that surround the Peaks of Otter area, approximately 6.5 miles distant.
No one knows for certain why the area is called the Peaks of Otter. The Cherokee could have called the peaks ottari, meaning high places. Settlers, arriving in the early 1800s, might have named the Peaks of Otter after Scotlands Ben Otter Mountain, which resembles Sharp Top. Or, perhaps the name refers to otters that once inhabited nearby rivers.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features. In addition, it is included in the Blue Ridge Parkway series list.
Location. 37° 28.47′ N, 79° 41.515′ W. Marker is near Montvale, Virginia, in Bedford County. It is on Blue Ridge Parkway, on the left when traveling south. Marker is located in the Sharp Top overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway (MP 92.5). Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Montvale VA 24122, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Mount Joy (approx. 2.8 miles away); Looney's Ferry (approx. 3 miles away); Appalachian Trail
this page online
Another marker is no longer nearby. Buchanan (was approx. 3.6 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. Photographs of Sharp Top Mountain as seen from Abbot Lake and Flat Top Mountain appear at the upper right of the marker. Below these is a map of a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, with the location of the marker indicated.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 15, 2016
2. Peaks of Otter Marker
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 16, 2015
3. Marker at the the Sharp Top Overlook
SharpTop Mountain and Flat Top Mountain are seen beyond the marker.
Photographed by Bill Coughlin, July 15, 2016
4. View from Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on December 30, 2021. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2016, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,393 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 18, 2016, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
