OVERVIEW
Whether you’re a player or a spectator – or both – you’ll find plenty of recreational opportunities in Winchester and Frederick County. Every season offers up a host of fun-to-do, good-for-you options.
FACILITIES
Three gorgeous parks, overseen by the local parks and recreation departments, show off their well-equipped gymnasiums, junior Olympic-sized indoor and outdoor swimming pools, walking and jogging trails, ball fields, tennis courts, and, of course, picturesque picnic areas.
Frederick County Parks & Recreation
Winchester City Parks & Recreation
The Winchester Green Circle project, when completed, will provide a path around the City for bicyclists & pedestrians, connecting major destinations for citizens and tourists. The circle connects areas of historic, recreational, educational, and natural interest. Some of those attractions include Glen Burnie Historic House & Gardens/Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Jim Barnett Park, Shenandoah University, Old Town Winchester, and the Abrams Creek Wetlands Preserve.
The SportsPlex, a state-of-the-art, indoor sports and recreation facility, hosts organized leagues in soccer, inline roller hockey, arena flag football, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, and dodgeball – and the programs are designed for all ages. For impromptu play, the complex always keeps available additional fields and courts.
GOLF
Winchester boasts two acclaimed golf courses: the 27-hole Rock Harbor Golf Course, soon to be a 36-hole championship course, and the 18-hole course at the private Winchester Country Club. Or you can golf on a nine-hole course at the family-friendly Appleland Sports Center, where you easily move from a miniature golf course to the batting cages to a go-kart race track. Other award-winning golf courses are within a half-hour’s drive of the city.
ACTIVITIES
RUNNING/BIKING
If running is your passion, the Shenandoah Valley Runners Club is a popular local membership organization catering to individuals and families who enjoy running and are interested in general fitness. The group hosts several amateur competitions throughout the year. Would you rather cycle? Check out Winchester Wheelman.
TUBING/KAYAKING
Snow tubing draws fans to The Cove, a year-round recreational area on the western edge of the county that features camping, hiking, and fishing in the warmer months. Outdoor enthusiasts are drawn to the area because it’s within easy reach of one of the most scenic and inspirational natural environments in the country. Just outside the city flows the beautiful Shenandoah River, beckoning visitors to swim, canoe, tube, kayak, raft, and more. (Some inside info: The Shenandoah is one of the rare North American rivers that – get this – flows north.)
SPORTS TEAMS
The local Parks and Recreation departments and public/private schools have comprehensive sports offerings. Private programs like Unique Hoops, an afterschool basketball academy, the Blue Ridge Youth Soccer Association, and AAU travel teams, among others, are also available in the community.
NEARBY
The Shenandoah National Park has more than 500 miles of trails and top-notch camping facilities – by tent, in private cabins, or in rustic lodges – as well as the famous 105-mile Skyline Drive, a national scenic byway. Hiking paths to hidden, strikingly beautiful waterfalls are clearly mapped for explorers.
The George Washington and Jefferson National Forest also is a quick getaway for Winchester area residents, offering more than 2,000 miles of hiking trails, fishing, camping, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, hunting, bird-watching, and horseback riding. Part of the forest includes the well-traveled Appalachian Trail, one-fourth of which runs through the parks and wilderness of Virginia.
SPECTATE
If you lean toward pure spectating, baseball lovers from around the area annually congregate at Jim Barnett Park to watch the local Winchester Royals, part of a collegiate, summer wooden-bat baseball league that plays in the Valley League. The games are fun-filled – and the community spirit is contagious.
