Children and the parents around Wintergreen, Nelson County, and beyond are in agreement: The wooden swing sets made with branches, a huge sandbox pit, large rocks to climb on, a mud kitchen, and a creek kids are welcome to play in (and more) that sits behind the Natural History Center on Route 151 south of Nellysford is awesome. The playground is open every day, from dawn to dusk.

Spruce Creek Park’s playground is in the middle of an elaborate children’s nature walk with well-done educational exhibits that are part of the Natural History Center of the Rockfish Valley Foundation at the crossroads that is the historical village of Wintergreen. [Map]