Two things I love most about living in Richmond: the variety of outdoor spaces to explore and the history. When you combine the two, it makes for a great family outing where learning and exercise can work in tandem. My family has hiked a few places that offer the intersection of history and nature exploration, and I’d love for you to try them, too!
Try hiking through history at these trails:
Cold Harbor Battlefield
Fought during the Civil War, the Battle of Cold Harbor highlighted the importance of trench warfare. Located in Hanover County, Cold Harbor Battlefield offers 3 different trails. We prefer the main trail, which is a 1-mile loop.
Before your visit, print out a Junior Ranger booklet so your children can read through the signage along the walk and become familiar with the events that transpired at Cold Harbor Battlefield.
This is typically a very quiet walk with lots of birds, so bring binoculars and a bird identifier (book or app) as well.
Pamplin Historical Park
Pamplin Historical Park has several trail options, ranging from .3 miles to 1.25 miles. Whichever trail you choose is guaranteed to be peaceful and scenic. I recommend The Breakthrough Trail, which is peaceful and includes monuments and Civil War fortifications. It was along this very trail that the Breakthrough on April 2, 1865 occured.
If you’d like to extend your outing, The Petersburg Battlefields Trail connects with Pamplin Park.
Richmond Slave Trail
Starting at Manchester Docks, this trail follows the path through the slave markets of Richmond. To understand more about the historical significance, bring this brochure which explains in detail the highlights of the trail. This trail is 2.5 miles and goes along the James River. This trail is dog-friendly.
These hikes will allow you to both get outside with your family and learn more about Richmond’s history. We look forward to seeing what activities your family discovers around Richmond this summer, tag us on social @rfmtoday!
