Put down the phone and hit the trail!
What’s the Virginia Kids Trail?
Promoting family-friendly experiences in the Shenandoah Valley is the Virginia Kids Trail mission. Founder Nancy Craun believes children, along with their parents and grandparents, should put down the phones and get out and experience the world.
Kids learn and find their passions through play. The Trail, along with its diverse group of partners, focuses on the rich action, creativity, heritage, and wellness of the Shenandoah Valley. Each partner represents at least one of these areas of interest. And they all love families!
The Trail is your go-to resource for planning your visit to the Valley – whether it’s a day trip, weekend getaway, or week-long vacation. Located primarily along the I-81 corridor, families from the Greater Washington DC, and Richmond areas can access the trail via I-66 and I-64. Dulles International Airport is only 30 minutes away. And Valley locals use the Trail as a handy guide for a backyard adventure.
Meet the Kids Trail Mascots
Each area of interest on the Trail has a mascot. Here you’ll meet Bucket and his friends Shenny, Ridge, and Fungi. These little guys and gals have distinct personalities. Match them to your children’s personalities and start planning your Kids Trail adventures.
Get ready for Action with Bucket – an inquisitive girl whose passion is fitness and action. She’ll take you and your family on exciting outdoor adventures. And when the weather doesn’t cooperate, Bucket knows the best places for indoor active fun.
Shenny is Bucket’s creative sidekick. She has a love for art, music and even live theater. Creativity is her middle name and she’ll show you the way to music camps, makerspaces, art exhibits, and live performances – all geared to imaginative children.
Nerds rule and Bucket’s buddy Ridge leads the pack. While this little guy loves the Internet, what he really loves is learning new things. Heritage, especially history, is his passion. You’ll find Ridge exploring natural wonders, traveling through time, and learning about America’s history in the Shenandoah Valley.
Joining these three mascots is Fungi. The gang met this little guy on one of their nature hikes. He’s never met a food he didn’t like and always has something good to eat in his backpack. He’ll take you through “Virginia’s breadbasket” where you’ll tour farms, local markets, and food artisans, finding REAL FOOD all along the way.
With 160 miles of action, creativity, heritage, and wellness, the Virginia Kids Trail offers the best family friendly travel experiences in the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains. Pick your destinations, build your itinerary and get going on the Kids Trail! And find more family friendly fun on our Facebook page.