April 19--A new operator has been found to reopen the Peaks of Otter Lodge on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Bedford County, an attraction for local residents and out-of-area travelers.

The National Park Service has selected a company to operate the lodge for the next 10 years through a concessions contract, said Laura Nelson, a concessions specialist for the 469-mile parkway, in an email Thursday.

The company that made an offer to operate the site was being notified Thursday; the NPS hopes to announce more details soon, she said.

Many supporters of the 63-room lodge and restaurant at Milepost 86 of the parkway had hoped for a new life for the operation after it closed at the end of November amid uncertainty over its future.

A contract with the Virginia Peaks of Otter Company, the former operator, had expired. The company ran the lodge, which was completed in 1964, for more than 20 years and had agreed to a two-year extension in late 2010.

About 40 employees were impacted by the closure; former general manager Ron Stull said in an interview on the last day the lodge was open that a future contractor would be wise to bring back the staff.

Danny Johnson, owner of the Peaks of Otter Winery and a Bedford orchard, said it is a major draw for his business.

"It's good news for the whole area," he said Thursday.

Johnson said he had heard many out-of-area travelers had been coming to the lodge recently and were disappointed to learn of its closure. He spent $65 to have a sign placed at the gate to inform them of the situation and point them to attractions in the Bedford area.

When the lodge was open many workers had referred his winery and orchard to the travelers, he said. He has noticed a drop-off in traffic.

"Nobody could tell them where to go," he said.

The lodge property includes more than 4,000 acres of mostly hardwood forestland nestled between Sharp Top and Flat Top mountains, a popular destination for hikers.

The restaurant overlooks Abbott Lake and had served home-style meals.

Sergei Troubetzkoy, tourism director in Bedford, said in late 2012 his fingers were crossed a new operator would surface because the possibility of he lodge not reopening would be a major blow to the area's tourism.

He has referred to the lodge as "an important part of what we have to offer in Bedford."

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