If You're NearbyNatureWaterfallsHikingNational parks

Great Falls Park

The Potomac crashes through a rocky gorge 15 miles from the White House, the great natural sight of the Washington area.

Photo: Cfschris · CC BY 4.0

The Potomac drops about 76 feet in under a mile here, over jagged rock and into narrow Mather Gorge. It's startling to find rapids this big so near the capital.

Three overlooks are a few minutes' walk from the parking lot, and longer trails follow the cliffs. George Washington's company built a canal here to get boats around the falls, and its ruins and the ghost town of Matildaville still stand in the woods.

If You're Nearby in Mid-Atlantic

Best Time: Spring, for the highest water, and fall
Time Needed: Half a day
Cost Level: $$$$
Open: Every day from 7 am until 30 minutes after sunset, except Christmas Day
Getting There: About 40 minutes by car from Washington, DC. There's no public transport.

What to See

1 of 4 are free

Paid30 minutes

The Three Falls Overlooks

Short walks from the visitor center to the best views. Overlook 1 is closest to the falls.

Paid1.5 hours

River Trail

A rocky path along the top of Mather Gorge, with climbers on the cliffs.

Paid45 minutes

Patowmack Canal Ruins

Stone locks from George Washington's canal, on the way to old Matildaville.

Free2.5 hours

Billy Goat Trail (Maryland)

A popular scramble over the rocks, on the C&O Canal side of the river.

Know Before You Go

Don't enter the water or climb the riverbank rocks: the current has killed many people, including strong swimmers.
On spring and fall weekends, the lots fill and the road closes for up to an hour. Arrive early.
The park has an entrance fee and is cashless.