Check off these items on the Staunton Spring Bucket List

Technically, your bucket list is the list of important things you want to do before you kick the bucket. But if thoughts of your demise are too macabre for you, just think of it as a list of things that will help you live your best life and enjoy interesting experiences. If you’re looking for inspiration for bucket-worthy springtime activities near Staunton, check out the Staunton area Bucket list for a curated set of ideas! Make Staunton your home base as you check these off!

Say Hello to Nature

Nothing will help you feel more alive than stretching your muscles and taking in a big breath of nature. Walk around the 1.3-mile loop in Gypsy Hill Park or hike the trails in Montgomery Hall Park. April 19 is one of Shenandoah National Park’s fee-free days, a great chance to drive along the Skyline Drive or hike your favorite trail for a chance to glimpse more than 850 species of flowering plants. Or head to the George Washington National Forest to take in the views and get back to nature!

Grab Your Paddle

Spring is a wonderful time to visit our area’s water resources. Paddle the placid waters of Sherando Lake or float the four-mile Waynesboro Water Trail that meanders through the city’s downtown on the South River. Ready for a thrilling adventure? Rack your kayak and head to Goshen Pass for six miles of powerful class II, class III, and class IV rapids through a mountain gorge, which is considered some of the best whitewater for intermediate paddlers in Virginia.

Head Downtown

How about eating healthy for once? Staunton has an amazing community of inspired and sustainable dining. Supply your table with fresh homegrown and homemade goods and produce from the Staunton Farmers’ Market, which opens on April 5th. This family-friendly market (Saturdays from 7 a.m. – noon) has been a Staunton staple since 1993. Stroll the stalls meeting the producers, listening to live music, and enjoying the Staunton community. Shop and Dine Out in Downtown and Beyond is another beloved Staunton tradition that starts on April 4th. Join your friends and neighbors as they dine and shop alfresco along Beverley Street. Save up your hot air and blow your own ornament at Sunspots Glassblowing Studio.

New Brews for You

Pro Re Nata + is the newest brewery on the Beerwerks Trail. Their craft beer brewery offers a diverse selection of house-brewed beers, refreshing ciders, fine wines, and expertly crafted cocktails. Stop by and experience great drinks, tasty food, and unforgettable entertainment. Make sure you get your Shenandoah Beerwerks passport stamped. You can earn a free t-shirt as you taste your way through the best craft beer in the Valley.

Tour Staunton in a Unique Way

Follow a show at the Blackfriars with an informative and entertaining playhouse backstage tour to learn production and theater secrets! Take a virtual tour of Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace and museum until you get here and see it in person. Ghost enthusiasts will love the Ghosts of Staunton Tours, educational and entertaining tours through Staunton’s most haunted spaces. And Virginia Scenic Railway takes riders on excursions through the Shenandoah Valley countryside.

Go on Safari

Virginia Safari Park is a lot more convenient than going to Africa to see exotic animals. Just a short drive away in Natural Bridge, the 180-acre property includes a drive-thru animal habitat. Roll your windows down and the animals will stick their heads into your car for feed. A walk-through section of the zoo has giraffes, tigers, penguins, birds, and farm animals. If you’re looking for an even rarer experience, sign up to spend a Saturday with rhinos, penguins, or sloths and their handlers. You’ll learn how the animal-care specialists feed and interact with them.

Ready for some cuteness overload closer to home? Keep an eye on Facebook for when the spring lambs are born at the Frontier Culture Museum.

Find a Festival

• 2025 marks the 31st year that Charlottesville’s Virginia Festival of the Book has treated voracious readers, aspiring authors, and the intellectually curious to days of readings, discussions, presentations, and chances to connect to your community. March 20 – 23.
• Learn how wool is harvested and processed at the Frontier Culture Museum’s Fiber Festival (April 5). Watch every step of this fascinating and arduous process as you learn about the lives of the Valley’s early settlers. 
• Historic Garden Week Tours give you a chance to go inside some of Virginia’s loveliest homes. Scheduled for April 26, this year’s local tour is a driving tour through beautiful Augusta County to visit four homes in the villages of Verona, Mount Sidney, and Fort Defiance.
• Earth Day Staunton 2025 on April 26 at Gypsy Hill Park helps visitors consider how to reduce their carbon footprints and impact the Earth in a positive manner.
• Waynesboro’s annual Riverfest (May 3) is another free event dedicated to environmental education and preservation.
  

Don’t waste this beautiful spring weather sitting on your couch! Get outside and start working on that bucket list.