Winter is a great time to add outdoor time to your family's routine. Check out the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid Winter Family Fun Bucket List for family fun around town.
You don't have to stay indoors just because it's winter. All winter, Lynchburg Macaroni Kid wants to help you spend more time outdoors by suggesting great local places to enjoy. This week's pick is Ivy Creek Park, a great place for getting back to nature.
Established in 2011, Ivy Creek is the newest of Lynchburg's parks. The park is located at 118 Clemmons Lake Place, just off Lakeside Drive. Turn between the fire station and Sheetz into the Lynch Pin Industrial Park and look for the Ivy Creek sign on the right near the bottom of the hill.
Bring along the fishing poles and teach the kids how to fish from the shores of Clemmons Lake. Ivy Creek's Clemmons Lake is a catch and release facility; however, the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries Inland Fishing Program for Trout and Catfish allows you to catch and keep up to 4 trout and 4 catfish per day.
Ride bikes or take a stroll on the paved Clemmons Lake Trail or head into the woods on the Woodland Trail. There are often geese out on the lake and sometimes you'll even find a family of geese waddling along on the trail. You can also follow the Harris Trail beside the parking area into the woods for a short loop hike. On spring, summer and fall weekend days, you can rent a canoe or kayak to use on the lake too.
You won't find big crowds at Ivy Creek Park, but you will find a whimsical play area populated with dragonfly, frog and toad climbing structures and a climbing rock to test your child's skills. There's a picnic shelter near the lake, so pack along a picnic lunch or afterschool snack to enjoy. Like all of Lynchburg's parks and trails, Ivy Creek Park is open dawn to dusk daily.
Try to spend 15 to 30 minutes each day participating in active, outdoor time. You can hike, ride bikes or just play a game of ball in your own back yard. Bundle up first if it's really cold. Spending time outdoors helps the kids burn off some of that sitting-all-day energy. Start this week and commit to spending time outdoors every week during winter -- every day if you can. Get physical and have a happy, healthy 2024.
Stay up to date with all of the family-friendly activities and events in the Lynchburg area this winter with the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid event calendar. Like us on Facebook for plan ahead event information, happenings around town and more. Find Your Family Fun® anytime with Lynchburg Macaroni Kid.
