As the mercury climbs, so does summer fun at Kingsmill Resort & in Greater Williamsburg with a host of outdoor activities for all to enjoy. Tee off or swing a racket at the resort. Hike and bike the area’s many parks and green spaces. Get out on the water on the James River. Tap your feet to outdoor summer concerts. Watch dazzling Fourth of July fireworks. Walk through the country’s largest living history museum. And thrill to roller coasters, zip lines, ropes courses, and more as they welcome visitors all summer long.
Tee Off on a Championship Course
What better way to enjoy summer than by playing a round at Kingsmill. With two renowned 18-hole golf courses, a celebrated golf academy, and excellent instruction, you’ll see why the resort has been recognized by Golf Digest and Golfweek. Choose from the Pete Dye-designed River Course, perched on the James River and among the 10 best in the state, or the Arnold Palmer- and Ed Seay-designed Plantation Course, featuring landmarks from the original 1736 plantation. No wonder Kingsmill has hosted the world’s best players on both the PGA and LPGA tours.
Float in a River Pool
The whole family will love gliding along the meandering lazy river at the river pool at Kingsmill, which reopens for the season on May 7. Most outdoor pools in Greater Williamsburg open in late May.
Take a Hike
Celebrate the glory of summer while hiking on one of many trails through forests, wetlands, and fields. Start on the scenic 4-mile walking path that winds its way through Kingsmill itself.
Then head offsite for a hiker’s paradise of options in Greater Williamsburg. They include: the Greensprings Greenway Interprative Trail, which links history and nature over more than 5 miles (with several loop options) in Jamestown Settlement. Explore a dozen short trails of the coastal estuary at York River State Park. Enjoy stunning views of nature on the 2-mile Powhatan Creek Trail, as it loops through beaver ponds, wetlands, and forests. Trek through Waller Mill Park, which features a 3.7-mile paved trail with views of a 360-acre lake as well as a 2.5-mile wooded trail. On the Island Loop Drive in Historic Jamestowne, choose from a 3-mile or 5-mile loop that features 11 interpretive stops, archaeological excavation sites, and the roosting nests of bald eagles. Stroll on 2 miles of multiuse trails, including a 1-mile ADA-accessible paved trail, in Williamsburg’s 600-acre forested Freedom Park. Hoof it on part of the 52-mile Virginia Capital Trail that starts in Williamsburg at the Governor’s Mansion and follows the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent English settlement in the New World.
Ride a Bike
Want to feel the wind in your hair? Take a scenic bike ride through Kingsmill’s extensive grounds with miles of paths to pedal. Bike rentals are available at the Kingsmill Marina.
Outside the resort, more than 25 cycling routes beckon riders, featuring historic sites, peaceful farmland, and scenic back roads. Pedalers’ favorites include the Colonial Parkway, a 23-mile National Park Service trail connecting the cities of Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown; the Virginia Capital Trail, a 50-mile trail stretching from Jamestown to Richmond; the Historic Jamestown Island Loop Drive, a 3-mile or 5-mile loop that features 11 interpretive stops, archaeological excavation sites, and the roosting nests of bald eagles; and the 600-acre Freedom Park, a forested retreat with 2 miles of multiuse trails and more than 20 miles of mountain bike trails winding through historical sites and forests and along creeks and open meadows.
Go Bird and Butterfly Watching
Explore tidal wetlands, swamplands, hardwood forests, and open meadows on one of New Quarter Park’s nine trails. Perfect for bird watchers, the park’s landscapes are home to a variety of avian species, including American bald eagles, wild turkeys, and red-tailed hawks.
Flutter around with more than 200 butterflies at the Williamsburg Botanical Garden, which hosts an annual summer Butterfly Festival (dates to be announced).
