Quaint shops, museums and a variety of eateries along Main Street make the small town of Bedford a convenient stop for hikers on the Appalachian Trail or scenic drivers on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Milepost 86). Blue Ridge Mountain outdoor activities abound at nearby "Peaks of Otter", while around town there is a clutch of cultural sights to catch, like the National D-Day Monument and the little Bedford Museum.
Blossoms of rhododendron and mountain laurel draw visitors to the nearby Peaks of Otter the first two weeks of June while those searching for autumn color usually come between mid-October to late November. Fishing, canoeing, rock climbing and ballooning are popular also in this area, with an abundant selection of water-based activities to be found particularly on Smith Mountain Lake to the south, the state's busiest freshwater lake.
Within the general Bedford vicinity find also Appomatox Court House National Historical Park, associated with the final surrender of Confederate forces, and if you're lucky, the mystery-shrouded 19th-century fortune (the Beale Treasure) supposedly buried somewhere in the county (location indentified only in as yet undecoded cryptograms).
Bedford is located just off Hwy. 460 / U.S. 221 in the center of Bedford County between Roanoke (28 miles east) and Lynchburg (28 miles west).
