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 still winter.
All winter, Lynchburg Macaroni Kid wants to help you spend more time outdoors by suggesting great local places to enjoy. With school out this week, the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid road trip outdoors pick is the Peaks of Otter.
Located about 45 minutes from Lynchburg at MP 86 on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you'll enjoy the beauty of the mountains while staying active at the Peaks of Otter. There's a hiking trail just right for everyone in the family. The paved, accessible 1-mile Abbott Lake Trail is great for the little ones. Park at the Peaks of Otter Lodge. You'll be right beside the lake for the entire hike with lots of photo ops available.
*** Peaks of Otter Lodge and the Ranger Station are closed for the winter, so plan ahead! ***
For school age kids, check out the Johnson Farm Trail. If you park at the Visitor Center, it will take 20 to 30 minutes to hike through woods and fields to the restored farm and about the same amount of time to return to your car. Although you can't go inside the old farmhouse during the off-season, kids can read the signs and imagine what life was like for kids back in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Just behind the Visitor Center, check out the Elk Run Trail, a self-guided 0.8-mile loop nature trail. The Johnson Farm Trail and Elk Run Trail are a little more challenging than the Abbott Lake Trail since they're unpaved wooded trails, but the sights and sounds of the woods are worth the hike.
For 'tweens and teens, take the Sharp Top Mountain challenge. The trailhead is located across the Parkway from the Visitor Center (near the Ranger Station). Dress warmly and allow plenty of time for this strenuous hike. The sign at the Sharp Top trailhead states that it will take an hour and a half to get to the summit, but it may take longer, especially for younger hikers. Be sure to bring along water since there's none available on the trail. The 360-degree views from the summit are amazing! Your kids will never look at the distant Sharp Top peak the same way after hiking to the top.
Wherever you hike, follow the Leave No Trace principles of hiking. From The Wilderness Society's website, Leave No Trace principles are "the golden rules of outdoor recreation. Simply put: Leave the wild places you visit the way you would like to find them." Leave No Trace principles include: carry a map and know where you're going, always pack out trash, leave what you find, respect wildlife and be considerate of other visitors.
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.
