Virginia Outdoors A-Z

Virginia is a year-around destination for outdoors enthusiasts, offering sports, recreation and adventure from A-Z.

A — is for: Air Sports such as airplane rides and instructon as well as hot-air ballooning and skydiving!

B — is for: Biking the Commonwealth! Order your free map of Virginia's bike routes.

C — is for: Camping in Virginia. From back-to-basics backpacking destinations to full-service RV sites, Virginia offers mountains, beach and woodlands as your outdoor home.

D — is for: Driving Tours through Virginia. Be sure to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway, America's Favorite Drive, and other National Scenic Byways in Virginia.

E — is for: Events. There's always something going on outdoors in Virginia. From huge regional festivals to local heritage celebrations, you'll feel part of the action.

F — is for: Fishing. Whether it's adventurous deep-sea fishing, fishing from a pier or fly fishing in one of Virginia's many streams, you can find the instruction you need, the appropriate guide and the boat and equipment.

G — is for: Geocaching. This new sport makes every hike an adventure with hidden treasures and clues using a GPS device.

H — is for: Horse lovers. Do you enjoy horseback riding or just watching them race? Virginia has steeplechase, track and harness racing, plus places to learn how to ride English or western saddle, or just enjoy a trail ride.

I — is for: Indy Racing at Virginia's speedways. Read all about Motorsports in Virginia, featuring NASCAR, drag and ATV track racing, too.

J — is for: Captain John Smith Trail through Virginia. Trace his journey by land or water from the falls of the James River in Richmond to Hampton Roads, with key historical sites linked to the Jamestown experience.

K — is for: Kayaking. More than 25,000 miles of Virginia's rivers and streams invite you to kayak or canoe through some of the most spectacular scenery in the nation. Read about Virginia waterways.

L — is for: Links! Virginia Golf includes some of the best golf resorts in the nation along with a mild climate and plenty of golf packages.

M — is for: Mountain Biking. Virginia inspires mountain bikers to new heights of awareness and exhilaration!

N — is for: National Parks & Forests. What adventure you'll find, such as Outdoor Adventure Programs at Shenandoah National Park!

O — is for: Ocean! Virginia has about 5,000 miles of shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay for your ocean adventures. Read about Virginia's Beaches.

P — is for: Pets. Virginia makes it easy to bring your four-legged family members along on your adventure vacation. Read all about Traveling with Pets.

Q — is for: Quoits . . . representing other lawn games, such as horseshoes and boules. Enter the Chesapeake Horseshoe Association Tournament every July and play quoits at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton at theFirst Fridays events.

R — is for Ropes Course. Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing offers a low ropes course for team building as well as a high adventure course! Other sites include Camp Bethel and Chanco on the James.

S — is for: Skiing and Snowboarding. Virginia has four popular mountain resorts for downhill skiing as well as snowboarding parks for additional challenges. Read about Winter Fun in Virginia.

T — is for: Trails. The Appalachian Trail — 544 miles of it — runs through Virginia. Another popular one is the Virginia Creeper Trail.

U — is for: Underwater. Enjoy SKUBA diving at Lake Rawlings, A Scuba & Camping Park, a very clear lake water for scuba diving and snorkeling.

V — is for: Virginia Theme Parks. What's more fun and/or scary than roller coasters? Ride 19 of them within a 75-mile radius.

W — is for: Waterparks! Indoors or outdoors, plunging waterslides, super falls and pipelines take swimming to a whole new level.

X — is for: X-Treme Sports such as stunt bicycling and skateboarding, bungee jumping and other adventurous activities. Check out Xtremefest and other events like it throughout Virginia.

Y — is for: Yurt — rent one at Kiptopeke State Park on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Z — is for: Zoos and other Wildlife Observation. Read 45 Places to Find Wildlife.