Fall Camping in the Peaks of Otter

Fall is of course our favorite time to go camping in Virginia.  Warm days, cool nights, and minimal bugs make sleeping in the woods ideal.  We headed out to southwestern Virginia to visit the Peaks of Otter.  We choose two day hikes with camping at a campground nearby.  We had hoped to seek the leaves at their peak, but it turned out that this year they'd peak a few weeks later than last year.  The winds were insane that weekend, hitting 50 mph in the strongest gusts.  Branches fell constantly on the tent, using a tripod was impossible, and building a fire was a challenge.  But, we climbed two beautiful mountains and walked to a "waterfall" that was nothing more than a trickle in a stream.