Short Pump has so much to offer for all ages.

Ten miles west of Richmond was rural farmland a few decades ago, but now you’ll find a bustling suburban region known as Short Pump. The crossroads of Broad Street and Three Chopt Road used to be home to a general store with a water pump.  The pump handle was unusually short (in order to clear the store’s front porch), and folks driving between Richmond and Charlottesville would stop at the “short pump” to fill up, meet up, or stock up on supplies.  The nickname stuck, and now the area is home to Short Pump Elementary, Short Pump Middle School, Short Pump Crossroads Shopping Center, and more.  

The Henrico County Park that shares the popular moniker has been expanded and upgraded in the past few years and has become a destination park for the West End of Richmond, especially for dog lovers!  The park has two separate dog parks with turf and beautiful landscaping - one for small dogs and one for large dogs - that are each double-gated to prevent Fido from breaking free.  The dog parks are next to the lovely bathroom facility (which lacks changing stations), which also houses a pavilion with multiple picnic tables.

Then there’s the play area, and what an amazing play area it is!  Plenty to climb on, a wide array of swings, and a large lawn for running and playing. The rear of the park has a colonnade with lovely benches where parents can sit in the summer and watch their kids play in the … wait for it… spray park! During the summer months, giant water fountains spring from the ground onto textured cobblestone pavers for kids (and maybe some adults) to cool off.  Of course, you could also cross Pump Road and run into Chick-Fil-A for a milkshake if you prefer to stay dry.

Short Pump Park actually wraps around the back of the adjacent baseball field where you will find an additional, smaller playground and pavilion.  Both of these spots offer more shade and seem to be geared for smaller kids.  ADA-compliant swings are also available in this play area, which is a perfect spot to watch games on either the baseball diamond or the youth football team on the opposite side of the playground.

All of these amenities, plus ample parking (which is full-on youth sports days) make Short Pump Park a great spot to let kids run, but my favorite part is the paved walking path that winds through the woods to John Rolfe Parkway.  Henrico County has done a great job of putting a traffic light and crosswalk where the path emerges, allowing motivated adventurers to explore West Broad Village - which happens to have a Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Sweet Frog, a pond, walking trail, and it’s own small playground.