Great Falls — Attraction in Potomac

This place is truly beautiful! It is an easy drive from the DC area. The Maryland side has only one viewing area of the great falls. But it has the towpath which runs along the C&O Canal. The sights are beautiful along the towpath.

The stretch between Great Falls Tavern and Anglers Parking is just gorgeous. It is about a two mile walk on the towpath one way. Along the route, there are plenty of hiking trails.

There is a fee if you take the Great Falls Tavern visitor center entrance. This part of the park has better facilities than other areas. It had mule-drawn canal boat rides and free bicycle rentals before the pandemic. Hopefully these programs will come back in 2021. If you plan to visit the park more than once in a year, it is worth it to purchase an annual pass.

There are multiple entry points to the C&O Canal towpath. Anglers is not far from Great falls Tavern. Parking is free. Carderock also has free parking. But the Great Falls Tavern has the most beautiful scenery and much better facilities.

During peak days, there is usually a long line to get into Great Falls Tavern. It is the same on the Virginia side because both parks have a single lane for entrance. On very busy days, it would be very difficult to get parking at Anglers. Carderock usually...

There are two sides of Great Falls, the Maryland side and the Virginia side. Both have great views of the falls. The Maryland side has a boardwalk that takes you over some smaller, but still impressive, falls until you arrive at the observation platform. Here you get a fantastic view of the east side of the cataracts where you’ll often see kayakers going through the rapids and falls. It is also a training ground for the summer Olympics. An added bonus here is a number of small boulders for the little ones to climb on after they get bored looking at the falls.

The Virginia side has two observation decks providing opportunities of viewing the entire width of the falls. You’ll see various water birds because of the differing habitats.

There is plenty of hiking opportunities on both sides of the Potomac River. And if you’re the adventurous type, the cliffs on the Virginia side offer rock...

The first time a friend took me here, I was missing the West and feeling closed in by the cities. A half-hour of watching the falls was all it took for me to forget where I was. The falls change according to the seasons and the amount of recent rain. The appearance of these wild falls in what seems to be the middle of an urban area is amazing. Whether you spend an hour or a day, you will leave feeling different--or at least I did.

This spot is great for singles, couples, and families. I think it would be great to expose children who know only streets lined with buildings. The power of the water can be felt from the shore. This can be a little frightening, which is not...