I think COVID-19 has forced most people to get outside the past 6+ weeks more than ever. Northern Virginia has been swamped with some of the heaviest rainfall we’ve had in years, which has made some of these days less than ideal. We’ve taken advantage of any sunshine we could find, but where do you go in the middle of a very populated portion of the state? As it turns out, you can find pretty great hiking and biking trails all around Fairfax, McLean, and Arlington. We a trail from our home in Pimmit Hills about 2.5 miles north and founds some great places to hang with our fam.

Blakeslee is almost 3.5 – and did the whole hike out there on her own! It was so exciting to watch her actually keep up with us… and without complaining. These trails are pretty versatile, from heavily wooded areas, to shallow parts of the river with large stretches of pebbly beach. She stopped to check out roots in a bamboo forest, pick dandelions, and even coined the term “mud ice skating” when she realized the mud wasn’t going anywere.

We did throw her in the backpack on the way back while I carried Grady, but it worked well. We’re lucky to have an entrance to these trails right in our neighborhood – we entered from Olney Park in the Falls Church neighborhood of Pimmit Hills. The trails do stretch all the way to DC and we’re having fun taking this down time to check them out.

Have you found any trails in your area to keep the kids occupied during quarantine?! I want to hear about the coolest spots you’ve found!