National Plan For Vacation Day

As the excitement of the holidays wears off and the long chill of winter sets in, thoughts turn to where to vacation this year. Are you looking for family-friendly outdoor fun or a romantic retreat with your loved one? How about an excursion into DC’s Wine Country ® or a thirst-quenching brewery adventure along the LoCo Ale Trail? Whatever your tastes or passions, Loudoun has you covered. This National Plan for Vacation Day, plan one of these trips to Loudoun.

While Away in Wine Country

With more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms, Loudoun is aptly known as DC’s Wine Country and since 2024 marks the 40^th anniversary of the industry, now is the perfect time to visit. Known for our variety and innovation, try everything from Austrian Grüner Veltliner, French-style Bordeaux, Spanish Tannat or Albariño, Italian Nebbiolo, Argentinean Malbec and much more, all within a few miles – Around the World in 40 Wines if you will. Be sure to include scenic Willowcroft Farm Vineyards where Lew Parker barreled the county’s first vintage – a 1984 Riesling. If you prefer to stay urban, county seat Leesburg is home to wine-forward restaurants Echelon and The Wine Kitchen as well as the tasting room of the stellar October One Vineyard. In Middleburg, upscale resort Salamander Middleburg is renowned for its Gold Cup Wine Bar that features several local vintages; there are also dozens of B&Bs within wine country. Stop at Hillsborough Winery, Brewery & Vineyard in Hillsboro for a glass of the Ruby Red blend. In Waterford, stylish new Hummingbird Treehouse Cottage is a stone’s throw from Creek’s Edge Winery, Carriage House Wineworks and The Wine Reserve At Waterford.

Explore the LoCo Ale Trail

Loudoun may be wine country but it’s one of the most exciting craft beer destinations too, with more than 30 breweries and taprooms connected by the county’s popular LoCo Ale Trail. Vary your ale trail experience. Explore the cozy beerhalls of historic downtown Leesburg one day, the stunning farm and Blue Ridge Mountain breweries out west the next and, when you need to earn your pint, spend a third day cycling between breweries located on and close to the scenic Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Sterling and Ashburn out east. Leesburg’s Pedego Electric Bikes even launched a self-guided Electric Bike Ale Trail Brewery Tour for groups of up to 20 people that includes stops at four breweries on or close to the W&OD, including The Craft of Brewing and Old Ox Brewery. Want to stay at a brewery? Check out the cozy, one-room log cabin B&B of the acclaimed Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery outside Waterford.

Family Fun

Loudoun is not all about beer and wine. We’re a family destination too with a myriad of kid-friendly activities and adventures to entertain the little ones. Experience Loudoun's rich agricultural tradition at Great Country Farms in Bluemont, a working farm where activities include strawberry and apple picking, tractor rides, a mine sluice, a corn maze and even fishing. Make sure to indulge in the delicious apple donuts too. North of Leesburg, at Temple Hall Farm Regional Park, you can pet animals and take a horse and carriage ride, while out in the east you can learn about the rural history of Loudoun at the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum. Another not-to-miss adventure is Leesburg Animal Park, an interactive facility where kids can meet or pet a range of exotic creatures such as sloths, zebras, hedgehogs, camels and even African cats.

Get Romantic in Loudoun  

How about a whole vacation dedicated to romance? Start your woo-cation with a couples visit to a Loudoun spa. Try the signature Respiratory Detox treatment with hot stone massage at Lansdowne Resort on the banks of the Potomac River or enjoy an entire day of pampering in the saunas, massage rooms and rooftop pools of spectacular Korean-inspired King Spa in South Riding. Follow this with a day of shopping in the stylish boutiques, galleries and home décor stores of downtown Middleburg or historic Leesburg. What relationship doesn’t go better with chocolate? Take a chocolate making class together at The Conche’s studio. As for the ultimate romantic dinner, call weeks in advance to reserve a table at world-class, earth-to-table icon The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm where you dine on an ever-changing, nine-course Progression Menu while gazing down on the Potomac River from an imperious greenhouse dining room.

Outdoor Adventures 

If you want a vacation of active, outdoor fun, Loudoun has you covered too. The seven-stage zipline course at Harpers Ferry Adventure Center includes a heart-in-mouth descent from a 100-foot sky bridge while those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground should hike the Appalachian Trail north of Round Hill to or from Bear’s Den Overlook above Bluemont. Cyclists love the W&OD Trail that dissects the county east to west, while for equestrian enthusiasts Chase Run Stable in Hamilton leases horses and offers group and private riding lessons and Dark Spring Stables in Hillsboro offers guided rides on dirt roads and excursions to wineries, breweries or to get ice cream in summer. Want some adrenaline action? Improve your aim – and your Vitamin D count – with an afternoon adventure in the sun at Pev’s Paintball Park south of Leesburg, a 48-acre venue with 14 themed playing fields that includes a prison-stye fortress with watch towers. Nearby, Hogback Mountain Paintball is a 70-acre park with 14 themed courses. Prefer to get on the water? Beaverdam Reservoir in Brambleton has 600 watery acres to kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard (SUP) or cruise around in a non-gas boat. It’s stocked with several species of fish, too. Paddle Nova offers kayak and SUP rentals at Beaverdam and trips on the Potomac from Algonkian Regional Park, while Sterling’s Volcano Island Waterpark is a tropical island themed summer park with waterslides, splash pools, dumping buckets and more.