Summer Activities in the Richmond, VA Area

Visit the James River Park. It has several summertime activities to choose from. You can ride a bike on the park trails. There is the main loop through the park or some challenging trails along the river. Take the kids snorkeling. You can swim or wade in the river. There is a island you can wade out to when the water is calm. It has some trenches on either side of it that are good for viewing catfish, bass, and sunfish. If you don't want to get wet, take a canoe trip around some of the small islands in the river. There are several trails throughout the park, you can get some great views of the park and a few small waterfalls. Finally you can try you luck at some fishing. The Z dam is a popular fishing spot for locals. You can catch bass, catfish, bluegill and perch. In April and May try for some migrating shad and rockfish. You can get more information about the park at www.jamesriverpark.org.

The kids will love the Metro Richmond Zoo. It sits on 70 acres and has about 1,400 animals. There is a bridge by the giraffe exhibit that allows visitors to feed them. You can feed the camels through a long tube. There are several animal exhibits throughout the zoo that encourage feeding of the animals. This is good for the animals and fun for the kids. The kids love getting up close a personal with the animals. There is a train ride around the park that winds its way through the exhibits. It costs $3 to ride the train. The zoo is located at 8300 Beaver Bridge Rd. Its hours are 9:30am to 5pm Monday through Saturday, it is closed on Sundays. Admission is $9.75 per adult and $7.75 for children 2-11. For more information about the zoo visit: www.metrorichmondzoo.com.

If you like horses, visit the Colonial Downs horse track. It is open throughout the year but the main time to see the horses train and race is in the summertime. Harness racing runs from 12 September to 5 November. There is a kitchen located at the track that provides a view of the track and serves breakfast from 6am to 10pm. The track is about 25 miles east of Richmond on I-64. It is worth the drive. Admission is $2 on race days. For more information about the track visit: www.colonialdowns.com.

Summertime activities don't have to be confined to the water. There are vineyards, historical houses, racetracks, and reenactments of civil war battles around the Richmond area. There are plenty of activities for the family. Just get out and enjoy the time with your family.