Apple Orchard Mountain
Apple Orchard Mountain rises to 1,287 m in Virginia. Thunder Hill stands 1,221 m to the north-northeast, 1.0 miles off. Blue Ridge Parkway runs past it.
The story
Apple Orchard Mountain is a peak of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Located in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, Apple Orchard Mountain is the county highpoint for both Bedford County and Botetourt County, Virginia as well as the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. It is also the most topographically prominent mountain in the state. The summit is open, and an FAA radar stands nearby. This radar stand makes the mountain recognizable from miles away.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q4781207, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1287 m
How to reach it
- On the Blue Ridge Parkway, National
- 21.8 mi off the Highlands Scenic Byway
Overlooks nearby
- Apple Orchard Mountain Overlook · 1 mi
- Arnold Valley Overlook · 1 mi
- Small waterfall · 2 mi
- Thunder Ridge Overlook · 2 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- Thunder Hill: 1.0 mi
- Onion Mountain: 1.5 mi
- Pine Mountain: 2.0 mi
- Wildcat Mountain: 2.6 mi
- Floyd Mountain: 2.7 mi
- Terrapin Mtn Race Start/Finish: 4.1 mi
- Jellystone Park Natural Bridge: 6.6 mi
- Peaks of Otter Recreation Area: 7.0 mi
- Knick Field: 8.7 mi
- Centennial Park: 8.7 mi
- Glenwood Furnace: 5.5 mi
- Old Mine Entrance: 6.4 mi
- Indian and Settler Conflict: 8.9 mi
- National D-Day Memorial: 13.0 mi
- Otto Cline Powell monument: 13.4 mi
- Bedford Museum & Genealogical Library: 12.7 mi
- Poplar Forest Museum: 17.9 mi
- Rockbridge Historical Society: 18.9 mi
- Stonewall Jackson House: 18.9 mi
- George C Marshall Research Foundation Library: 19.3 mi
- Padgett Obelisk: 8.7 mi
- Rhinoceros: 12.4 mi
- Knight Statue: 17.7 mi
- Peristyle: 17.7 mi
- Francis Henney Smith: 19.3 mi
- Research and Demonstration Garden: 8.8 mi
- Victory Garden: 12.9 mi
- Rain Garden: 17.1 mi
- Poplar Forest Herb Garden: 17.9 mi
- HumanKind and Hill City Master Gardener Davis Instructional Garden: 18.1 mi
- Devils Marbleyard: 4.9 mi
- Natural Bridge of Virginia: 7.9 mi
- Monacan Indian Living History Exhibit: 8.1 mi
- Caverns at Natural Bridge: 8.3 mi
- Dinosaur Kingdom II: 8.9 mi
- Hunting Spring: 4.1 mi
- Sulphur Spring: 4.7 mi
- Marble Spring: 5.5 mi
- Big Spring: 7.0 mi
- Cow Camp Spring: 22.8 mi
- Claytor Nature Center: 9.2 mi
- Brushy Hills Preserve: 18.8 mi
- Hollins Mill Park: 20.4 mi
- Lake Robertson: 20.6 mi
- Mt. Pleasant Roadless Area: 23.5 mi
- Apple Orchard Falls: 1.2 mi
- Falling Water Cascades: 4.8 mi
- Lace Falls: 8.5 mi
- Panther Falls: 17.9 mi
- Virginia Rest Area Mile 158 South (I-81): 16.8 mi
- Troutville Safety Rest Area: 16.8 mi
- J.H. Phillips Wayside: 23.8 mi
- Cascade Falls Picnic Area: 7.8 mi
- Howrytown: 21.3 mi
- Lovers Leap: 22.1 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 11.7 miles of Apple Orchard Mountain. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Hill | NNE 25° | 1,221 m | 1.0 mi |
| Flat Top Mountain | SW 221° | 1,215 m | 6.0 mi |
| Sharp Top Mountain | SW 222° | 1,167 m | 7.7 mi |
| Onion Mountain | S 188° | 1,157 m | 1.5 mi |
| Headforemost Mountain | SW 216° | 1,131 m | 3.2 mi |
| The Pinnacle | SW 221° | 1,119 m | 5.6 mi |
| Floyd Mountain | WSW 243° | 1,088 m | 2.7 mi |
| Buzzards Roost | SW 222° | 1,074 m | 8.0 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:23 | 18:56 | 19:30 |
| June solstice | 05:58 | 20:04 | 20:43 |
| September equinox | 07:07 | 18:42 | 19:17 |
| December solstice | 07:30 | 16:23 | 17:04 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 36 | 39 | 46 | 57 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 75 | 69 | 58 | 46 | 39 |
| Precip in | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Buchanan, 9 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidata- USGS Geographic Names Information System feature 1492478 — Apple Orchard Mountain, Bedford County, Virginia.
OpenStreetMap element node/356581686
Day trips start here
Take the scenic way to Apple Orchard Mountain.
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