articles

Lynchburg VA Fun: 10 Places to Enjoy Outdoor Summer Fun with Kids

Let Lynchburg Macaroni Kid help you Find Your Family Fun® all summer long!

By Sandy Wallace May 3, 2023

Summertime in Central Virginia is a great time to enjoy being outdoors. Whether your child will attend a local summer camp, spend days in family day care, head to Camp Grandma, or just hang out at home, be ready with some fun outdoor activities to while away the hours during the hot days of summer.

Check out The Lynchburg VA Area Best of Summer 2023 Guide - Let Lynchburg Macaroni Kid help you Find Your Family Fun® all summer long!

Enjoy outdoor family fun at these places without spending a fortune.

  1. Enjoy free water fun -- Riverside Park's Sprayground in Lynchburg, the Riverfront Park Fountain in Lynchburg, and the Splash Pad in English Park in Altavista are open daily from late May through the summer and best of all, they are all free!
  2. Peaks View Park in Lynchburg -- Play on the playground, enjoy a round of disc golf, ride bikes, or take a walk on the paved trails
  3. Hit the trails -- Take a hike off Blackwater Creek Bikeway or off the Blue Ridge Parkway -- the Appalachian Trail is accessible from several places on the Blue Ridge Parkway or at the James River Foot Bridge on Route 501
  4. Go chasing waterfalls -- Head to Crabtree Falls in Nelson County, Fallingwater Cascades or Apple Orchard Falls on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or Dark Hollow Falls in Shenandoah National Park 
  5. Show your LOVE for the boys of summer -- Take in a Lynchburg Hillcats game or two this summer and be sure to take family photos at the LOVEworks sign at Lynchburg City Stadium
  6. Find your sense of adventure on a swinging bridge -- Head to Buchanan and walk across the Buchanan Swinging Bridge 
  7. Walk through a tunnel -- Start your journey at Lynchburg's Hollins Mill Park and follow the signs to walk through the Hollins Mill Tunnel, a former railroad tunnel
  8. Run in the sprinkler -- Your kids will enjoy water fun at home with a sprinkler set up in the front or back yard. Finish off the fun with popsicles for all
  9. Enjoy winter fun in summer -- Ski, snowboard, or snow tube in the summer at Liberty Mountain Snowflex, located above Liberty University
  10. Spend a day at the lake -- Visit Smith Mountain Lake State Park or Holliday Lake State Park and enjoy a day at the beach without a long road trip 

Check out our Lynchburg VA Parks Guide for detailed information (and photos) from all of the Lynchburg parks. 

Looking for places to hit the water? Check out Summertime Water Fun: Lynchburg Area Pools, Lakes and Swimming Holes for the best water fun in Central Virginia.

It's not too late for your child to enjoy a week at summer camp. Check out our Lynchburg VA Area Summer Camp Guide for a listing of area camps.

If you like hiking, you'll really love our Hiking Off the Blue Ridge Parkway Guide to find the best family-friendly trails.

You'll find family-friendly events to last you all summer in the Lynchburg Macaroni Kid calendar of events on our website. Subscribe to receive a FREE weekly listing of events and activities, as well as articles and guides about local family fun. If anyone tells you that there's nothing to do in Lynchburg, don't believe them! 

Let Lynchburg Macaroni Kid help you Find Your Family Fun® all summer long!