The DC Traveler

Great Falls - DC’s Version of Niagra

by Jon on May 9th, 2007

Just 15 minutes to north of DC is one of our region’s most beautiful attractions, Great Falls Park.

The park offers 15 miles of hiking and biking trails, great places to picnic, some challenging rock climbing, and horseback riding (if you bring your own horse).  If you are into kayaking, get ready for some fun and challenging white-water thrills.

However the best part in my opinion of the park are the falls themselves. The Great Falls of the Potomac are the steepest and most stunning falls or rapids of any Eastern river, excluding Niagara Falls. 

During this time of year when the Spring rains cause the Potomac to run fast, the falls are their most beautiful.  Where Great Falls are the most picturesque (near the Visitor’s Center) is where the Potomac River narrows from 1,000 feet wide to under 100 feet. The river also drops over 75 feet in less than one mile.

Kayakers love Mather Gorge just below the falls where the river narrows to just 60 feet and the rushing waters makes for a thrilling ride.

The falls were considered an obstruction to Potomac barge and boat navigation in the mid-1700. Barges needed to be unloaded and goods such as grains, tobacco, meat and household goods, were manually transported around the falls, and then loaded onto other barges to continue their journey downriver.  A plan was developed to build a 200-mile system of canals to bypass five falls along the Potomac, to create a nonstop waterway between the Eastern seaboard and the quickly developing Ohio Valley.

The canal bypassing Great Falls, being the most challenging to construct of the five, was completed in 1802 and operated for 26 years. The canal was considered one of the great American engineering feats of the 1800s.

Early in the 1900s, the land around Great Falls hosted an amusement park. DC residents could take a trolley for 25¢ from Georgetown to the park.  But after several damaging floods (look for the marker that shows how high the water came during one of the floods) the park closed. Close by was a whitewashed inn and restaurant called Dickey’s Inn, and it is rumored that presidents from George Washington to Teddy Roosevelt dined there during it’s 126 year history. 

In 1966, the National Park Service acquired the 800 acre park and established Great Falls Park.

Great Falls Park 
9200 Old Dominion Drive at Georgetown Pike (Route 193)
McLean, VA 22102 

Hours – The park is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until dark.

Entrance Fee- $5.00 per vehicle, individual passes (on foot, horseback, bicycle or motorcycle) - $3.00

Nearest Metro subway station– West Falls Church or Dunn Loring - Orange line. You will then need to take a local cab about 7-10 miles to the park.
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POSTED IN: Attractions, Family Fun, Great Places to Unwind, Great Walks, Must-See Sights, Scenic & Short Trips