When I first wrote this post, I had NO IDEA what was coming – thank goodness. I would have been curled up in a ball in a corner whimpering. I think not knowing the future is often one of God’s mercies! The last two years have brough a global pandemic, widespread restrictions, and even *gasp* homeschooling for Team O’Dell. So we have spent a lot of time outside! I still consider myself “an indoor mama raising outdoor kids”, but I have learned to get out there and enjoy it with them. Sort of. The 1000 Hours Outside Challenge really motivated us!
Kids just do better and learn so much when they’re outside – the research backs this up, but we don’t really need scientists to tell us that, do we? I’m learning to step back and let them do their own exploring. It’s so fun watching what they come up with and they amaze me with their creativity, curiosity, and boldness. I should own stock in OxiClean Max Force because their clothes need spraying every single night. But dirty, exhausted kids are happy kids who sleep well, right?
My best tips for getting outside with your kids are 1) Take snacks and water bottles and 2) Set expectations low and go with what the kids want to do. If you’re not quite ready to brave the great outdoors with your kids yet, I highly recommend finding a Tinkergarten class! They plan fun, engaging, open-ended, exploratory activities outside for you. I have taken classes with both our local leaders and they’re great.
Winchester has many, many great places to go and we are trying to tackle them all! I’m so thankful to live in the Shenandoah Valley. Here’s my list of our favorite local places – hopefully it will keep growing!
For each place I’ve listed, the title and picture are links to a website with more information.
901 Amherst St, Winchester, VA 22601
That giant butterfly is made of Legos!!
The MSV, located in Winchester near the hospital, has a historic house available for tour and a museum. But the highlight for my outdoor-loving kids are the gardens that you can wander through. There are large grass spaces, rocks to climb on, creeks to cross, and a really neat bamboo garden maze. Check out their website for hours and admission fees because it can be tricky – usually under 12 are free, with everyone free on Wednesdays.
In past years, we have seen displays of Lego sculptures and giant bugs in the gardens that were really cool. You can often find a discount on Groupon or CertifiKid for these exhibits. I don’t see any upcoming outdoor exhibits right now, but they do offer some classes for kids and adults that you can check out.
The Trails at MSV are the newest addition to the list because they opened recently. I almost didn’t include them on the list because we love it SO MUCH that I wanted to keep it our secret 😉 Luckily for you all, I decided to share.
You can get on the trails from the MSV or from the trail parking lot next door (between the museum and James Wood Middle School). The trails are mostly gravel and go through woods, fields, and even a wetlands area – if you have a good stroller, you could take it with you. Along the way there are sculptures, huge rocks, hills, and trees that are all perfect for climbing! It really is the best.
Tip – when you walk past the silo – be sure and go inside.
Although they are part of the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, the trails are completely free. It’s an amazing resource to have in town!!
You may have seen signs around Winchester designating the Green Circle Trail. The project is not completed, but you can follow portions of it to interesting places around town. Look for the signs or check out the website for locations.
One part that we love to visit is the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve on Jubal Early Dr. You park in the lot that serves Children of America and Once Upon A Child follow the paved, stroller-friendly path through the calcareous muck fen. I didn’t make those words up – that is an actual type of wetlands that is right in the middle of our town! You’ll have to look it up if you want to know more because I just copied and pasted that. 🙂 The website has lots of good information. I have actually only done this hike once, and then someone told me they often see snakes out on the path so that was it for me. It’s an excellent spot for bird watching and identification, though!
18393 Blueridge Mountain Road, Bluemont, VA 20135
If you’re leaving Winchester on Rt. 7 heading east, you’ll cross the Shenandoah River and head up a mountain. As you’re driving up, look up on the right side to see a large group of rocks high up on the mountain. That’s the Bear’s Den overlook! It is the easiest place to get on the Appalachian Trail around Winchester, and your kids will love the view from up there.
There are two ways to approach it. If you’re looking for a hike, park in the lot on Rt. 7 (it’s on the right side at the top of the mountain) From there, you can hike about half a mile up through the woods to reach Bear’s Den. If you just want the views from the overlook, turn right off of 7 onto Blueridge Mountain Rd. About half a mile down on the right is a day lot. From there it’s just a quick walk down to the overlook.
While you’re there, you should check out Bear Chase Brewery on the other side of Blueridge Mountain Rd. The soft pretzels and mountaintop views are amazing, and they have a huge outdoor space that’s fun for the kids.ir
1400 Parker Ln, Bluemont, VA 20135
Cool Spring is one of our very favorite spots and one that people ask me about all the time! It’s a long, paved path through a field right next to the Shenandoah river so it’s great for walking or biking, and it’s stroller friendly. The best part is the river access, though, and that can be tricky to find. But it’s worth the effort because you can throw things in water! Best time ever!
When you’re leaving town headed east on 7, cross the big bridge over the Shenandoah river and take a quick left. Go all the way to the end of the bumpy, gravel road to find the parking lot. At the back of the parking lot, you can take paths to the right or to the left. (If there is a gate closing off the path, you can go around it – it’s just to stop cars. I got that info from an employee that I happened to run into one time!) You can go either way – we have found some river access spots to the left, and it makes a loop through the fields, but we usually go to the right. You have to watch closely for openings in the woods to see if you can get down to the river. If you see a sign that says “Ridge to River Trail .02 mi”, follow it! You cross a little creek on stepping stones and then off to the right is the cool waterfall pictured above. Sometimes we wear bathing suits and water shoes so we can climb – there are more waterfalls if you go up the creek! I don’t know if a toddler could make it up, but my son did it fairly easily at 6.
That’s as far as we’ve ever walked, but I think the path is a long loop if you’re just in it for the exercise. We, of course, stop at every opportunity to throw things and splash in the water.
11012 Edmonds Ln., Delaplane, VA 20144
At about 30 minutes from Winchester, Sky Meadows *barely* makes it onto our list, but it is absolutely too much fun to leave out. There are lots of hiking trails at this park, but the kids will want to go to the Children’s Discovery Area. It has several outdoor play stations. They are not playgrounds, although there are some balance beam logs! You can cook in a stone chimney, dig hay and roll tree stumps at the farm area, and more. A child-friendly (but not stroller-friendly) path leads off the playground and loops through the woods for less than a mile. There are brochures to help you know what to watch for and plenty of benches for rest and snacks. Of course, there is a place where you can stop and throw rocks into a creek, which is always Team O’Dell’s favorite spot 🙂
There is a $10 fee per car to enter the park, but if you check out a nature backpack from one of the Handley library locations it includes a free park pass as well as fun activities to do while you’re there
We’ve done Sky Meadows a couple of times and have discovered that they have a lot of fun trails! We haven’t tried the Lost Mountain or Turner Pond entrances. When you go to the main entrance, you can park in a lower lot (right at the fork in the road) or an upper lot (left at the fork towards the park office). If you park in the upper lot and walk up the park office, you will see a trail post telling you how to get to the various trails. There’s also a post at the smaller lower lot. The trails are well marked with colored blazes and regular signposts. We attempted the Piedmont Overlook trail which goes up the mountain, but my kids only made it to the first lower overlook before they were ready to head back down. A friend recommended the Snowden trail – both of those are accessed from the upper lot. Our favorite trail is the Hadow trail because it follows a creek and there are plenty of opportunities to stop and throw things in water :). You can actually get on it from either lot or the Kid’s Trail.
There are trail maps available at the park and online for those of you who are better map readers than me.
At the lower Overlook on the Piedmont trail (my kids were over having their pictures taken)
Throwing rocks on the Hadow trail
541 Redbud Rd. Winchester, VA 22603
Third Winchester Battlefield is an easy place to get out and run around. Starting at the Red Bud entrance takes you through some fields so on really hot days the sun can be brutal. But it’s a wide, clear path and not long after you enter the woods it crosses a stream, our favorite part.
There is another entrance behind Millbrook high school that takes you directly into the woods. (You cannot park in that lot until after 2:45 on school days when school has dismissed and the buses have gotten out. Ask me how I know.) We love this loop through the woods for the mud puddle jumping and off-trail exploration.
We recently discovered a THIRD entrance near the Dollar Tree and Tractor Supply at the Gateway Shopping Center right at the intersection of 7 and 81. (Use the address 170 Getty Ln. if you need help finding it) This one goes directly into the woods as well and so far we have only done it as a snow/mud walk.
All the entrances and trails connect, but we usually just pick an entrance and explore a little bit. There are maps though.
The trail just after the Millbrook entrance
1871 Jones Rd. Winchester, VA 22602
Rose Hill is another great, quick place to get out and run through the woods in town. It’s an easy loop hike of about a mile with a shelter, bathrooms, and a small playground at the parking lot where you begin and end. It’s tough with a stroller because the path is gravel and dirt, but I’ve done it 🙂
610 Battle Park Dr. Winchester, VA 22602
I haven’t been to the Kernstown Battlefield (except for my church’s annual Follow the Star event at Christmas), but it is another convenient location in Winchester that, according to their website, offers trails through the field with informational plaques about the battles there. It doesn’t open until the first Saturday in May so hopefully we will get to try it out this summer! Check their website for hours, and if you’ve been, drop me a note with your experience.
The arboretum is located of Rt. 50 E in Clarke County and has lots of fun things to see. There are a variety of plants, stone walls, and paths going through a variety of landscapes. The first time we went, my four year old was very excited to get a map and lead the way! There is a meadow you can walk around and they have laminated cards with types of plants to look for as you walk, which made it really fun.
It was hot the day we went to the arboretum. Apparently my 3-yr old needed a break.
Star Fort is not so much of a “hike” as a place for a quick walk or a picnic. It’s right in Winchester, so if you’re looking for a place where your kids can run around in the woods for a little bit, this is a great choice. It’s an old Civil War fort, but it’s not a building. There are little hills built up in a star shape surrounding a kind of a dell. There is a path around it (it’s maybe a 10-15 minute walk) or you can go play in the middle. There is one bench for the grown-ups. We met a friend there for a social distancing picnic and it was perfect!
Other Great Adventures...
There are many other great hikes in our area, but this list is already long, so I will just list the things that are more than 30 min away. Click to take you to their website to learn more about them!
Skyline Drive/Shenandoah National Park Some places to consider for hikes – Big Meadow, Lands Run Falls, Dickey Ridge visitor center/fox hollow, or stop and ask a ranger!
Massanutten Storybook Trail (Luray) We actually did this trail on our way down 81. It’s not long (probably not worth a drive down from Winchester on its own), but it’s a great little walk – paved, climbing rocks, and an awesome view at the end!
C & O Canal Towpath is 184 miles between Georgetown and Cumberland, MD. Check it out near Sheperdstown, WV, or while exploring Harper’s Ferry.
Paw Paw Tunnel is on the C&O Canal as well. We did this and it was quite an adventure – be sure and bring a flashlight for everyone in your group! My kids said it was “creepy but cool”. It was just under an hour from Winchester. Parking directions here.
Catoctin Mountain Park in MD has a visitor’s center with a fun children’s area and some good trails.
Cunningham Fall State Park in MD has hikes to a waterfall, beaches for swimming, and animal programs for the kids.
If your want to search for shark teeth, try Calvert Cliffs State Park or Purse State Park both in MD.
Shenandoah River State Park in Warren County has some great trails, including the Bluebell
George Washington National Forest A friend told me that she put Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area into her GPS and found some great open trails.
Tuscarora Trail – There are several trailheads in the area, the one I’ve been hearing about is the Eagle Rock trailhead (324 Capon Springs Grade, Star Tannery, Va, 22654) – it’s about a mile up to an overlook and then you can come back down. I found this great blog from several years ago with lots of details. Another friend did the Buzzard Rock trail, which starts at the Elizabeth Furnace area mentioned above but is part of the Tuscarora trail as well.
How did I forget Cacapon State Park in WV? We haven’t been but it’s definitely on my list of places to check out because I’ve heard great things. This page gives some ideas of good trails to do with kids, and has pictures of them. I think we’ll try the Cacapon Ridge Trail because it crosses a creek and that’s where it’s at for Team O’Dell.
Seven Bends State Park in Woodstock is highly recommended by a friend, who said it’s not as crowded because it’s recently opened.
I’ll admit, as reluctant as I am to go outside, I almost always have a great time with my kids once I do it. They are so happy and I love seeing God’s creation through their eyes. I’m always looking for ways to show them God in daily life, and nature is full of those opportunities. Plus, and I’m repeating this because it can’t be said enough, they sleep better!!
I’d love to hear about your outdoor adventures! Got any tips for getting kids outside? Know a place that I’ve missed? Want to share how your adventures went? Want to take my kids with you so I can stay inside with a book? 😉 Let me know!
