Family Friendly Things to Do in Virginia & West Virginia
Hit the Trails Together
New River Gorge National Park earns its reputation with kids. The Long Point Trail is manageable for older children and ends at a sandstone overlook that makes the effort feel worth it. For younger ones, Babcock State Park keeps things gentler: easy gravel paths near the historic Grist Mill, a working waterwheel to linger in front of, and enough shade to make a summer morning comfortable without rushing anyone along.
Find a Swimming Spot
West Virginia’s rivers are made for this. The Greenbrier River Trail has calm, shallow pull-offs along its 78-mile corridor where kids can wade in at their own pace with no current to worry about. Summersville Lake has quieter shoreline stretches in the morning before boat traffic picks up, with enough room for sandcastles, skipping stones, and the particular kind of afternoon that nobody wants to end.
Explore a Small Town
Lewisburg has the kind of main street that slows everyone down. Ice cream shops, a Saturday farmers market, and bookstores where kids are welcome to browse without anyone hovering. Fayetteville has the same unhurried energy, with outfitters that run family-friendly rafting and kayaking on the New River, with calm float sections for first-timers, not just whitewater for the fearless.
Spend a Morning at Babcock’s Grist Mill
The Babcock State Park Grist Mill is one of the most-photographed places in West Virginia for good reason, but it earns the trip in person. The mill still operates, and kids who’ve never watched grain become flour tend to watch longer than you’d expect. The surrounding picnic area sits along Glade Creek, which runs shallow and cool in summer, so wading shoes are worth packing.