Kid Friendly Hikes Near Richmond

If your family enjoys hiking together and live or are traveling near Richmond Virginia, you might be surprised to find that there are many kid friendly hikes to choose from in the area.

Richmond is very urban, yet it offers many natural areas and historical places to hike with your family. These easy hikes in Richmond Virginia are perfect for your entire family!

If you are looking for kid friendly hikes in Richmond, Virginia these easy hikes are a great place to start.

Richmond has such a central location- you can easily make it to many hikes with just a short drive. But, you can also find lots of great family friendly hikes right in Richmond!

Kid Friendly Hikes In Richmond Virginia

Belle Isle– Belle Isle is the hands down favorite Richmond hike for all 6 of my children. We’ve been visiting Belle’s Isle for many years now. It’s an easy hike, even with toddlers.

You can even push a stroller on this trail if you’d like. The Belle Isle trail is a 1.7 mile loop. Kids will love walking by the James River and climbing on rocks. You’ll even find historical markers and some of the city’s history while hiking Belle Isle.

To get to the island, you’ll walk over a pedestrian suspension bridge under Lee Bridge. This can be a little nerve wracking with small children, but the bridge is quite wide and you can stay away from the edges quite easily. The river is tempting for kids, but it is not suitable for swimming due to the rapids.

Pony Pasture– This is a 2.1 mile easy loop along the James river. This trail does offer places to swim and splash in the river, so this is a perfect choice for a hot summer day with kids.

My children always enjoy the easy hike and swimming at Pony Pasture!

Maymont– While not technically a ‘hike’ you’ll find many wonderful kid friendly trails through Maymont Park. This is my families favorite place to picnic and then hike in Richmond. I recommend taking a rolling cooler and picnic blanket to enjoy your lunch on the beautiful grounds near Maymont mansion.

Then take the cooler back to the car and head back into the park for a hike. Download a map from Maymont.org and choose the hikes you’d like to enjoy. There are 1 mile and 3 mile loops designated on the map.

While walking at Maymont you can view a historic mansion, gorgeous gardens, and even wildlife exhibits! My kids love looking for the bobcat, bears and eagles as we hike around the park.

Canal Walk– The Canal Walk is an urban trail with an easy stroll of 1.25 miles through downtown Richmond along the banks of the Haxall and Kanawha Canals and also the James River. You’ll learn about four centuries of Richmond’s history through medallions, monuments and exhibits as you walk along the Canal Walk. This hike takes you across the James River on to Brown’s Island during your hike.

The Buttermilk Trail– This is a longer 4.5 mile hike, so this is a great one for families with older children, or kids who are used to hiking. Other than the distance, it’s an easy trail to walk for kids of all ages. You’ll get lovely views of nature and the James river along this trail. It is surprisingly wooded with great views in spite of the fact that this trail is actually in the city!

North Bank Trail– This is a 2.7 mile trail along the James River with sandy beaches and great rocks to sit and play on- you’ll also find this area and hike called Texas Beach by many Richmond locals.

Hollywood Cemetery– While not a hike, the trails through Hollywood cemetery are a great place to walk with your children. You can pick up a paper map in the cemetery office for a dollar. While walking through the cemetery you’ll have gorgeous views of the James River, and see part of Richmond’s history. This Girl Scout walking tour will lead you on a 2.6 milk walk through Hollywood Cemetery.

Forest Hill Park– This easy 2.7 mile loop trail is a great trail for families with young kids. It’s loop style trail keeps the walk interesting, without having to retrace your steps to get back to your car.

Dogwood Dell Hiking Trail – This one mile loop hiking trail is open to foot traffic only, so no worries about young kids getting caught up in a bicycle. Kids love crossing the creek on a narrow wooden footbridge while enjoying this lovely wooded trail.

Historic Slave Trail – This 2.5 mile trail crosses the James River from Ancarrow’s Landing on the south side of the river to Lumpkin’s Jail on the north side. You’ll find a variety of backdrops on this trail, some wooded walking near the river, to urban walking as you approach Lumpkin’s Jail.

Not only will your family have a nice hike together while walking this trail, but you can also learn about the history of how enslaved people were traded from Africa into Richmond (and other parts of America).

Floodwall Hike – Walking Richmond’s floodwall can be a journey of seven miles. However, it is a very easy walk with some amazing urban Richmond views. You can easily choose to walk just a portion of these seven miles with your family. At the floodwall trail connects at various places with Richmond Slave Trail, the Canal Walk, the Robert E. Lee Bridge and the Belle Isle Pedestrian Bridge. You can add a portion of the floodwall trail to any of these other shorter hikes.

Virginia Capital Trail – This 52 mile paved trail includes 1.3 miles of trail running through Richmond.