Sharp Top Mountain

Sharp Top Mountain has drawn people for thousands of years, attracting Indians 8,000 years ago and continuing to draw visitors today. Many hikers climb the peak by a strenuous 1.5-mile trail, while others take a bus ride that stops 1500 feet from the summit, where a magnificent panoramic view awaits at the crest. During construction of the Washington Monument, proud Virginians believed Sharp Top was the state's highest mountain and sent a piece of its stone to Washington, D.C., to be placed in the obelisk in honor of their native son. Although later surveys showed that other Virginia mountains were higher, local pride in this historic attraction endured. Sharp Top had become a summer resort by the mid-1800s for vacationers seeking rest, inspiration, and cool temperatures, and in 1936 the recreational area became part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visitors still continue the old custom of watching the sunrise from Sharp Top.

Virginia · United States