Start planning your Spring field trip today. Pack the car for the day or for a weekend getaway that will surely entertain the whole family. Check out these low-cost family adventures within a short drive of Fredericksburg.  

·       At Virginia Safari Park see animals run and frolic with abandon on this 180-acre property. Drive your vehicle over 3 miles of maintained gravel road and let your children feed the animals through the windows! Located in the Shenandoah Valley, only minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway and historic Lexington. The park is open from March to November. For tickets and hours visit: https://www.virginiasafaripark.com/your-visit/tickets-and-hours.

·       The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests stretch along the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and into parts of West Virginia and Kentucky.  Take the kids for a hike and choose to set up camp at one of thousands of individual campsites spread throughout the forests. For more information about recreation passes and permits https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/gwj/passes-permits/recreation.

·       At Luray Caverns general admission includes the Luray Caverns Self-Guided Tour that takes a little over an hour but it is suggested to allow 2-3 hours to tour the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Shenandoah Heritage Village and Toy Town Junction, as well. To plan your visit: https://luraycaverns.com/plan/

·       First Landing State Park is located on Cape Henry at the north end of Virginia Beach. This 2,888 acre park offers a wide range of activities for families with children that want to escape the busier, more heavily developed areas of Virginia Beach yet still remain in close proximity to all that the local area has to offer.  For all there is to do visit: https://www.first-landing-state-park.org/index.html

·       Become a Junior Ranger at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Parks. There are four booklets of activities available for kids. After completing each booklet, Junior Rangers receive a patch to mark their accomplishment. The booklets are free and highlight each major battlefield in the park. Pick them up on-site (ask at the information desk) or download and plan your visit before going to the park. For more information visit: https://www.nps.gov/frsp/learn/kidsyouth/beajuniorranger.htm.

Planning on visiting national parks often? Get the America the Beautiful - the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass at https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm. Note: If you have a fourth grader it may behoove you to get them their Every Kid in a Park pass at https://www.fs.usda.gov/learn/kids/everykid. This pass provides free access to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges, and more through August 31!

Many places offer discounts to law enforcement, active duty and retired military on each paid admission. Additionally, if you enjoyed your visit, many times you can put what you paid for admission towards an annual membership pass so you can go back again and again.