18 Fun Places to Explore Within 1.5 Hours of Richmond
No matter how much you love RVA, sometimes you need a change of scenery even if it’s just for the day. Enter: some of our favorite attractions outside the city. Whether you’re looking for something adventurous, historic, tasty, or something in between, read on for 18 hot spots you can hit within an hour and a half drive from home.
Image Source: Westmoreland State Park
Outdoor Adventures
Pocahontas State Park
Need to touch grass but don’t want to drive too far to get there? Pocahontas State Park has more than 90 miles of hiking and biking trails, plus lakes for fishing and paddling, picnic spots, camping, and an aquatic recreation center during the summer. Basically, an outdoor lover’s dream!
Driving Distance from Richmond: 25 minutes
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Lake Anna State Park
If you’re craving a trip to the beach but not craving the traffic to get there, Lake Anna State Park is a great alternative. It has a sandy beach on one of Virginia’s biggest lakes, along with hiking trails, fishing, boating, picnic areas, and plenty of places to post up for the day.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 1 hour and 5 minutes
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Shenandoah National Park
One of the most beautiful national parks in the country is basically in our backyard. Head to Shenandoah for waterfalls, mountain overlooks, wildflowers, hiking trails, and Skyline Drive. Your followers are going to be so jealous when you post pics from here on the ‘Gram.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 1 hour and 25 minutes
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Blue Ridge Tunnel
Trail hike? Been there, done that. Hike through an abandoned railroad tunnel underneath a mountain? Now we’re talking. The nearly mile-long Blue Ridge Tunnel dates back to the 1850s and is completely dark inside, so make sure your hiking gear includes a flashlight or a headlamp.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 1 hour and 30 minutes
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Fossil Beach at Westmoreland State Park
Channel your inner Ross Gellar and become a paleontologist for the day at Westmoreland State Park. You can hike down to Fossil Beach and hunt for prehistoric shark teeth along the Potomac River. The park also has six miles of trails, waterfront overlooks, fishing, boating, and some prime bald eagle spotting. But let’s be real, we’re here for the shark teeth.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 1 hour and 30 minutes
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Image Source: Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
Food & Drink
Fine Creek Brewing Co
Come hungry because the food at Fine Creek is not your average brewery food. Their locally focused menu changes monthly, and the beer lineup rotates constantly too, so no two visits are ever quite the same. You can also stay in one of their cottages if you’re looking for an overnight retreat.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 35 minutes
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Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery
This ain’t your average brewery patio. Lickinghole Creek sits on nearly 300 acres and uses well water and ingredients grown on the property to make everything from IPAs and sours to barrel-aged imperial stouts. Grab a beer, order something from their rotating food trucks, and spread out on the lawn for a glorious afternoon.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 45 minutes
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Richlands Dairy Farm
We’re not saying you should drive almost an hour just to get ice cream, but we’re not not saying it either. Richlands is a dairy farm with homemade ice cream, milk, cream, and other farm-fresh goodies for sale. Pro tip: pack a cooler because you’re going to want to bring some of those goodies back home.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 55 minutes
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Upper Shirley Vineyards
Wine tasting is fun. Wine tasting with a lobster roll and a view of the James River is even better. Upper Shirley Vineyards pairs its estate-grown wines with a full menu and a gorgeous backdrop. They also host live music and special events throughout the year, so check their calendar to see what they have planned each weekend.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 40 minutes
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Carter Mountain Orchard
You’re gonna wanna add this to your fall bucket list. Carter Mountain offers seasonal pick-your-own fruit, fresh apple cider, hot apple cider doughnuts, wine, and stunning views. They also have a Thursday Sunset Series with live music and food trucks from spring through early fall.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 1 hour and 15 minutes
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Image Source: Historic Jamestowne
Historical Sites
Yorktown Beach
If you can’t choose between something relaxing and something educational, we’ve found the perfect compromise. Yorktown’s public riverfront beach gives you a sandy spot to swim, rent kayaks or paddleboards, and lounge along the York River. Once you’ve had your fun in the sun, check out the historic village and Revolutionary War sites nearby. Best of both worlds!
Driving Distance from Richmond: 1 hour
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Historic Jamestowne
If you weren’t one of the lucky kids who got to take a field trip to Historic Jamestowne, now’s your chance. It’s the actual site of the first permanent English settlement in America, where you can explore the archaeological remains and learn about the English colonists and Indigenous peoples whose histories intersected here. We can taste the hand-churned butter and handmade corn patties now.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 1 hour
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Colonial Williamsburg
It takes less than an hour to time travel to Colonial Williamsburg. This picturesque town brings the 18th century to life with its historic buildings, demonstrations, gardens, carriage rides, and costumed interpreters throughout its historic area. And yes, you should absolutely stop at The Cheese Shop while you’re in town.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 50 minutes
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Pamplin Historical Park
Historians, listen up! This 424-acre park near Petersburg features four museums, historic homes, costumed interpretation, preserved Civil War forts, and the Breakthrough Battlefield, where the Union Army broke through Confederate defenses in April 1865. Give yourself a few hours for this one, because there’s a lot to see here.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 35 minutes
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Image Source: Kings Dominion
Attractions
Kings Dominion
You really can’t beat having an amusement park less than half an hour away. Spend the day riding roller coasters, hit Soak City when the Virginia summer weather is Virginia summer weathering, enjoy an obligatory theme-park snack, and feel like a kid again.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 25 minutes
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Metro Richmond Zoo
Want to know the only thing standing between you and hand feeding a giraffe? A 25-minute drive to the Metro Richmond Zoo. It’s home to thousands of animals from around the world (shoutout to our girl, Poppy the pygmy hippo!) plus interactive opportunities and rides like the Safari Sky Lift and Safari Train.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 25 minutes
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Busch Gardens
Roller coasters, beer, and pretzels? Busch Gardens Williamsburg combines it all with its famous European-themed areas, plus seasonal events like Howl-O-Scream and Christmas Town that give you an excuse to keep going back all year ‘round.
Driving Distance from Richmond: 55 minutes
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Keystone Truck & Tractor Museum
Any tractor enthusiasts out there? Keystone features antique tractors, vintage trucks, classic cars, old-school signs, radios, toys, and more than 1,000 artifacts. There’s also a 1950s-themed diner inside, and who doesn’t love an excuse to order a burger and fries?
Driving Distance from Richmond: 30 minutes
>> Learn more <<
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A born and bred Richmonder, Christine’s love of RVA runs deep. So does her love of words. She’s wanted to be a writer since she was 8 years old, leading her to earn a degree in Communication Studies from Roanoke College. Since then she’s edited and contributed to a handful of local and national publications. When she’s not working on her next article, you can find her taking walks throughout the city with her fiancé and their adorable rescue pitty Rosie. You can also find her on Instagram @christinewinder where she posts way too many photos of her cats.
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