Finding Adventure Close to Home: A Spring Break in Virginia State Parks

Written By VA Association for Parks .

By Sarah Crews

While many families spend spring break heading to beaches or theme parks, this year we took a different route filled with nature, exploration, and unforgettable memories. Instead of chasing crowds, we chased trails and fossils, trading roller coasters for bike rides and sandcastles in Virginia State Parks.

I grew up immersed in the outdoors, and I’ve always wanted my kids to experience that same sense of wonder; digging in the dirt, exploring unfamiliar trails, and learning to love the wild, beautiful world around us has always been incredibly important for our family. That’s what inspired our idea to dedicate our spring break to exploring Virginia State Parks and making progress on our Trail Quest goals. Partnering with Trail Kids RVA, a fantastic nonprofit group that connects families through free outdoor adventures, we planned and led a kid-friendly hike every day of the week.

We connected with Trail Kids RVA a few years ago, and since then, our family has completed over 80 hikes—hosting more than 50 of them ourselves. We love leading hikes because it gives us a chance to share our love of nature, meet new families, and foster lasting friendships. Our Spring Break State Parks Hike Series was a hit! Here’s how we did it:

  • Monday: We kicked things off at Twin Lakes State Park with a hike followed by a beach play day.

  • Tuesday: We biked across the impressive High Bridge Trail State Park, enjoying a picnic with friends, then made a visit to Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park.

  • Wednesday: Trail Kids RVA adventured to Westmoreland State Park, where we hunted for fossils on the beach.

  • Thursday: We returned to nature with a hike and more beach time at Bear Creek Lake State Park.

  • Friday: We wrapped up our week at York River State Park, discovering fossils, including our very first shark tooth!

 So, why spend spring break in state parks? Like many young families, we’re navigating an uncertain economy, but we didn’t want that to limit our ability to create meaningful experiences for our kids. We borrowed a Virginia State Parks backpack from our local library, which gave us free entry and parking at each park and came with fun, educational tools for exploring nature. With packed lunches and a full tank of gas, we had a full week of adventure -- bug-catching, hiking, fossil-hunting, biking, and splashing in the sand -- without spending a dime.

Each day offered something unforgettable:

  • Our youngest built his first sandcastle.

  • Our boys biked side-by-side for the first time.

  • Our oldest caught and identified his first butterfly.

  • And of course—finding that tiny, perfect shark tooth buried in fossil beach sand.

As the week came to a close, my husband and I both agreed: this was the best vacation we’ve ever had with our kids. The joy of discovering new places, the simplicity of the experiences, and yes, the benefit of sleeping in our own beds each night, made it all feel just right.

Sometimes, the best adventures are the ones waiting just an hour away.

VA Association for Parks .