Great Falls Park

You won't believe that this magnificent wilderness and spectacular recreational area is 15 miles from Washington D.C. Located on 800 acres along the banks of the Potomac River in McLean, Virginia, this small but scenic national park soothes and inspires.

Make your way to one of the three viewing platforms to watch the cascading rapids of the Potomac River rush over massive, jagged rocks. Check out the historic remains of the Patowmack Canal, one of the nation's first. Get in some serious birdwatching with the park's 150 different species. Be on the lookout for otters and copperhead snakes too.

Bring along your hiking boots, your mountain bike, or your horse. Great Falls offers 15 miles of hiking trails, five of which are multi-use for horseback riding, hiking, and biking. The River Trail offers the best views of the Potomac and is an easy hike on level, shaded ground. Prefer steep and challenging trails? You'll find those here too. The park is a popular spot for whitewater kayaking and canoeing as well as rock climbing. Bring your gear and take on the steep, dramatic clifftops of the Mather Gorge.

Weekends can be very busy with families and dogs. The park has plentiful places to barbecue with first-come, first-served picnic tables and grills. Visit in any season. They're all gorgeous, and you'll never see the same scenery twice. If you can manage to go right after a hard rain, you'll be rewarded with some mighty powerful surging falls.

This spectacular hideaway is a disconnected but integral part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. It's a peaceful place to retreat to when you're visiting the Nation’s Capital and need a big hit of Mother Nature to restore your soul.