Contents
Sleep on a Houseboat
location_on Moneta, Virginia
language Website
Sure, there’s lodging that offers waterfront views. But you can actually wake up on the water when you rent a houseboat with Parrot Cove Boat Rentals on Smith Mountain Lake, known for its stunning views and gentle waters. The houseboats sleep six to ten people, depending on your vessel, and have a dinette, bathroom, and water slide. Cruise 500 miles of shoreline, including secluded coves and inlets, when you take the helm. No boating experience is necessary: The rental company provides an operating lesson before you hit the water.
Distance from DC: Four hours.
Hike Under a Natural Bridge
location_on Natural Bridge, Virginia
language Website
Considered one of the oldest geologic features on the East Coast, a 215-foot-high natural limestone arch towers over travelers at Natural Bridge State Park. The arch is carved by Cedar Creek, and Thomas Jefferson once called it “the most sublime of Nature’s works.” To stroll beneath it, drop your car at the visitor center, then take a shuttle or climb 137 steps down to the Cedar Creek Trail, a two-mile out-and-back path that runs under the bridge and toward Lace Falls, a 50-foot cascade. A shuttle to the trailhead is available if scheduled before arrival.
Distance from DC: Three hours.
Go Off-Roading in a Jeep
location_on Minden, West Virginia
language Website
Navigate steep inclines, mud, and water crossings during a four-wheel excursion in New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Tour operator New River ATV offers Jeep rentals for maneuvering unpaved terrain and unspoiled views across mountains and river valleys. A four-hour guided tour covers 75 miles of dirt roads, making stops for waterfalls, ghost towns, and abandoned coal mines.
Distance from DC: Five hours.
Scuba-Dive in a State Park
location_on Summersville, West Virginia
language Website
Dubbed “the Little Bahamas of the East,” Summersville Lake boasts clear waters that have become a magnet for snorkeling and diving. Book a novice-friendly snorkel charter at Sarge’s Dive Shop to explore what lies beneath the surface of the lake, including largemouth bass, crappie, and walleye. Scuba-diving certification courses are also offered for all levels. Certified divers can rent gear and book dive charters to explore the lake’s depths.
Distance from DC: Five hours.
Pedal a Railroad to Paddle a River
location_on Frostburg, Maryland
language Website
You don’t have to choose between mountains or rivers during a dual trek with the tour group Tracks and Yaks. Depart from the historic Frostburg Depot on a railbike, a four-wheel recumbent bicycle that fits two to four people, and cruise on the tracks of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. After 15 miles of pedaling downhill, fuel up with a riverside lunch, then paddle three miles on the North Branch of the Potomac River. Shuttles bring adventurers back to the starting point.
Distance from DC: Two hours and 20 minutes.
Drive a Slingshot Motorcycle
location_on Tazewell, Virginia
language Website
Pretend you’re in a game of Mario Kart while piloting a Slingshot, an open-air vehicle with three wheels that’s technically a motorcycle. Reserve the two-person ride at the rental spot Back of the Dragon for two, four, or eight hours. You can drive the Slingshot anywhere–including nearby Kentucky and West Virginia–but it’s especially suited for Back of the Dragon, a designated motorcycle route that climbs and curves through 32 miles of verdant southwestern Virginia.
Distance from DC: Five hours and 20 minutes.
Paddle Past Shipwrecks
location_on Nanjemoy, Maryland and Cape Charles, Virginia
language Website
Spooky boat graveyards across the region are best explored by kayak. You can tour Mallows Bay in Maryland’s Charles County with Atlantic Kayak Company, paddling for three hours in tandem kayaks through the sunken Ghost Fleet, more than 100 wooden steamships built for World War I. Many of the boats have also become nesting sites for ospreys and eagles. On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, you’ll feel small sculling around the concrete World War II–era behemoths at Kiptopeke State Park, where you can rent kayaks from the camp store.
Distance from DC: One hour to Mallows Bay; three hours and 45 minutes to Kiptopeke State Park.
Photograph of boat courtesy of Parrot Cove Boat Rentals.
Photograph of kayak by Matt McIntosh/NOAA.
Photograph of scuba diver by iStockphoto.
This article appears in the May 2024 issue of Washingtonian.
