Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 24

The hike

Johnson Farm at
Peaks of Otter

Combine a walk to the farm with a trek over Harkening Hill and
you have a 3.9-mile walk full of history and discovery.
Text and photos by Leonard Adkins

The Johnson Farm/harkening hill
loop at the Peaks of Otter at
Blue Ridge Parkway milepost
85.9 is one of my "go-to"
hikes. I go to it when I want
The Other Johnson Farm
Descendents of those who farmed the land at the Peaks
of Otter now operate Johnson's Orchards (johnsonsorchards.com) on Sheep Creek Road near Bedford. Some of
the first trees planted in this orchard were from the Peaks
of Otter's Johnson Farm. In an interesting twist, the fifth
generation of this agricultural family donated 11 trees
grafted with some of the same apple species to the park
service so that they could be planted back at the original
farm in 1998. Johnson's Orchards is open daily from April
to December and on weekends January to March.
24 BlueRidgeCountry.com

a bit of exercise, but don't
want to put forth the effort
involved in a major mountain trek. I go to it because
it's fairly close to home and I
don't have to invest hours to
reach it. I go to it when hunting season brings the cracks
of rifles to the mountains,
because that activity is prohibited on parkway property.
But, mostly, I go to it because


http://www.johnsonsorchards.com http://www.johnsonsorchards.com http://www.BlueRidgeCountry.com

Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016

Mountain Curios 2016
Night! A Photoessay
Chang & Eng Bunker, Freaks or Solid Citizens?
Bark for the Nation: The Success of Highland Crafstmen
Pretty Spots, Pretty Structures: The Photoessay
Travel Guide I: The Great and Quirky Collections
Travel Guide II: Signature Foods of the Mountains
Travel Guide III: Tea Rooms of the Mountains
UpCountry Dining: South Carolina Mountain Cuisine
Mountain Aerials Photoessay
From the Editor
Contributors/Worth a Click
Creature Feature
Mountain Report
Reader Page
Mill Creek Stories
Country Roads
Great Buys
The Hike
Singing in the Garden
Events: Festivals for 2016
Guest Column: John Cooper
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Intro
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 3
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 4
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 5
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 6
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 7
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - From the Editor
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 9
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Contributors/Worth a Click
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 11
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Creature Feature
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 13
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Mountain Report
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 15
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Reader Page
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 17
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Mill Creek Stories
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 19
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Country Roads
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 21
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 22
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Great Buys
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - The Hike
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 25
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 26
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 27
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Mountain Curios 2016
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 29
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 30
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 31
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 32
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 33
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 34
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 35
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Night! A Photoessay
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 37
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Chang & Eng Bunker, Freaks or Solid Citizens?
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 39
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 40
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 41
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 42
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 43
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 44
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 45
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Bark for the Nation: The Success of Highland Crafstmen
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 47
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 48
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 49
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 50
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 51
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Pretty Spots, Pretty Structures: The Photoessay
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 53
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 54
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 55
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 56
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 57
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Travel Guide I: The Great and Quirky Collections
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 59
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 60
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 61
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 62
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 63
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 64
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 65
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 66
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 67
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 68
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 69
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Travel Guide II: Signature Foods of the Mountains
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 71
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 72
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 73
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 74
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 75
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Travel Guide III: Tea Rooms of the Mountains
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 77
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - UpCountry Dining: South Carolina Mountain Cuisine
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 79
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 80
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 81
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 82
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Mountain Aerials Photoessay
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 84
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 85
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Singing in the Garden
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 87
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 88
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Events: Festivals for 2016
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 90
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 91
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 92
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 93
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 94
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 95
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 96
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - 97
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Guest Column: John Cooper
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country - January/February 2016 - Cover4
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