Whether you need a quick weekend adventure, or something to entertain the kids while on summer break, day trips are the best options. They’re non-committal and don’t require too much advance planning. They require very little packing and no more than 90 minutes in the car, including a stop or two. (Plus, when you have children in the backseat, even a short car ride can seem like an eternity.)
To amp up your summer adventures, we scoured the area for the best destinations less than 80 miles from three area hubs—Rockville, MD, Washington, D.C. and Fairfax, VA. While some are educational—like learning about climate change and astrophysics at NASA Goddard’s Visitor Center—others boast great views and hiking trails. There are even a few shopping excursions but all are designed to get you out of the house and visiting our unique region!
From Washington, D.C.
Luray Caverns (77 miles)—It’s time to go spelunking in the most popular caverns in the eastern United States. It took over 4,000,000 centuries for the Luray Caverns to develop their distinct stalagmites and stalactites (which is which?), the cathedral-sized rooms and towering stone formations.
101 Cave Hill Rd.
Luray, VA
