Setting up camp at Belle Isle State Park. Credit: Virginia.org

Sure, you can do the whole spring break thing at Daytona Beach or Cancun or Lake Havasu or some other such place, but our friends at Virginia State Parks are here to remind us that there’s a much more local, family-friendly, easy-on-the-pocketbook option out there. This is the perfect time, they say, to take the family outdoors for spring break after a winter of cold, rain and flu.

All 37 Virginia State Parks offer self-guided or ranger-led programs to get outdoors and enjoy early spring, from the week before Easter through the week after. For a list of programs, visit: http://bit.ly/2018VSPspringbreak

All parks offer self-guided explorations including backpacks with field guides and binoculars, GPS units to rent for geocaching, self-guided trails, scavenger hunts and other activities.

Post to Instagram using #vastateparks to share your spring break experiences.

Many Virginia public libraries have nature backpacks available to check out. In addition to handy tools to investigate the natural world, the backpacks include a parking pass for free entrance to a state park. Find a list of participating libraries here: http://bit.ly/LibraryBackpacks

For a day trip or a longer stay in a cabin or campground, Virginia’s state parks offer more than 1,800 campsites and 300 cabins.

For more information about all offerings in Virginia State Parks, including overnight accommodations, visit www.VirginiaStateParks.gov or call the Customer Service Center at 800-933-7275, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.