The State Arboretum of Virginia -- http://blandy.virginia.edu/arboretum -- is great. Lots of room to wander and explore and (I think) free. It's on Rt. 50, between Upperville and Winchester.

Anyone have feedback on Jug Bay?
http://www.jugbay.org/

or Flag Ponds (how does it compare to Calvert Cliffs...are there fossils at both beach sites?)
http://www.baygateways.net/general.cfm?id=78

I have hunch that after your first letterboxing outing they will be hooked....who doesn't look a treasure hunt?! Good luck!

P.S. One additional piece of advice...be sure to pick a box that has been found recently (most of the clues will indicate if the box is "active" and when it was last found). It's frustrating to search for a box and never find it, but it does happen with the older ones due to weather conditions or someone thinking it is trash, etc.

Love the letter boxing idea, having trouble explaining it to my kids, but I think it will be a huge hit!

Croyden Creek Nature Center in Rockville is great.

Anonymous wrote:Here's spot we have been wanting to check out....looks like it opens up to the public again in April:
http://www.ahs.org/meadow

This place is among my all time favorites in the DC area. It's just so lovely, especially in the summer. They have a nice children's garden too.

Great thread. I just wanted to add a good resource to the mix:

http://www.thenaturalcapital.com/

Just spent a happy afternoon at Glen Echo Park and even added in a quick letterbox hunt. I posted on another thread recently about letterboxing and thought it might be good to add here, too since many boxes are hidden in nice, natural spots. Like geocaching, but we love the hand carved stamps and the thrill of finding hidden boxes/books filled with stamps from other seekers. It's a great family activity and always an easy way to get my kids out of the house and exploring.

A little more info on letterboxing here:

http://www.letterboxing.org/
http://www.atlasquest.com/
http://cluetracker.pearlcrescent.com/