About Perfect Saturdays
Looking for something to do this weekend? These great day trips are within a two-hour drive of DC.
The Memorial Day forecast is somewhat mercurial, so you’ll want indoor and outdoor options for your long weekend plans. This day trip includes two ways to enjoy natural wonders: on a hike or in a cave.
Front Royal, Virginia
Drive time from DC: One hour and 15 minutes.
If Monday is looking dry and not too hot, it’s a free entry day for National Parks around the country, including Shenandoah National Park. Head to the northern end of Skyline Drive around Front Royal for a quick and easy 1.3-mile hike to Lands Run Falls, an hour-and-a-half drive from DC. Ditch your car in the Lands Run parking area (mile 9.2 on Skyline Drive) and venture through the trees to see the small cascades.
Searching for a longer path? Park by the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center, also an hour and a half from Washington, and hop on Snead Farm Road via the Dickey Ridge Trail. The Snead Farm Loop is a moderate 3.7-mile hike, though you can extend it by tacking on the easier 1.2-mile Fox Hollow Trail. It’s not a route with jaw-dropping views—the reward for this one is the humble old Snead Farm barn—but it’s a pleasant walk scattered with pretty spring wildflowers and minimal slippery rock scrambles.
Now, come Monday, if it’s still raining or you need to kill some time while the ground dries up or you just want to add another activity to your trek, stop by Skyline Caverns for an indoor adventure. The caves in Front Royal are filled with anthodite formations, including a freaky old 18-inch crystal. Learn all about them on a one-hour tour. Tickets are $30 a person, and you can add on a mini train or mirror maze experience for $8 per person and activity.
A day of intrepid exploration requires fuel. Retro burger joint Spelunker’s is a favorite for beef patties and thick custard. Meanwhile, a little further north, Khukuri Nepali Cuisine serves Indian and Nepali dishes such as momo dumplings, creamy korma, and chatpate, a puffed rice snack. Both eateries are open for lunch and dinner. On the way home, stop by the Apple House for apple butter-cinnamon donuts. Sure, Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, but who says you can’t still enjoy a taste of fall?
Looking for more day trip ideas? Check out our Perfect Saturdays series.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.
