For the National Historical Park in New Jersey, see, National Park Service unit in Virginia, United States, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, "Great Falls Park, USGS Vienna (VA, MD) Topo Map", Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, National Register of Historic Places listings in Virginia, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Falls_Park&oldid=999981738, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2015, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 January 2021, at 22:54. George Washington Memorial Parkway Also valid for entrance into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The park is roughly around 800 acres which includes one of … A panoramic view of the falls is shown. It can get very crowded on the weekends. It is a part of the National Park Service (NPS) and George Washington Memorial Parkway. In the evenings, a searchlight illuminated the falls. The sighting of the Painted Bunting, on the Maryland side of Great Falls, was first documented last week. A few miles outside of DC and it feels a world away. The gates survived from at least the 1830s and were found during restoration projects on stonework which were erected for the canal locks. And search more of iStock's library of royalty-free stock images that features 2015 photos available for quick and easy download. Explore one of the nation's first canals, see the Great Falls of the Potomac, or enjoy a hike along Mather Gorge's dramatic clifftops. The park visitor center has the bottom portions of two wooden canal lock gates excavated in the 1980s from the canal. Explore the most popular trails in my list Great Falls Park, MD with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. 22101. It's immensely popular for hiking (with provided trail maps at the visitor center), rock climbing, dog walking and picnicking (there are picnic tables and small grills for your use in the picnic area). A proposed bridge to span the falls was also considered but, due to a strong lobby to eliminate additional bridges over the Potomac and concerns over environmental impacts, the project was never undertaken. Upon reaching the towpath turn left to take a relatively short walk to the Great Falls Tavern. Situated on 800 acres (3.65 km2) along the banks of the Potomac River in northern Fairfax County, the park i s a disconnected but integral part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. NO SWIMMING. Adventures with Friends in great falls park in Maryland. Expect high crowds and delays entering the park on weekends and holidays when weather is nice. This series of cascading falls has developed on the Potomac River in rocks formerly known as the Wissahickon formation. This is one of the first known examples of blasting powder being used for engineering purposes anywhere in the world. The Maryland side of Great Falls is part of the C&O Canal National Historical Park. The canal is a Civil Engineering Landmark as well as a Virginia Historic Landmark. After … The Great Falls Tavern is located at the entrance of this park. It is an historic building in Potomac that currently is being used as the park's visitor center. Major highways in the vicinity of the park which provide regional connections include the Capital Beltway (Interstate 495), the Dulles Toll Road (Virginia Route 267) and Leesburg Pike (Virginia Route 7). You can do all of these things and more at Great Falls Park. Lock 18 can be seen in the picture. Cash payments are preferred, and help move vehicles and people into the park faster. At Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. Nearby locations for food, lodging, stores, and gas stations, Great Falls Park Wait time can be as much as 45 minutes to one hour. Along the trails, the ruins of the small town of Matildaville, Virginia can also be found. Fun cliffs. Great Falls Park 9200 Old Dominion Drive McLean, VA 22102. You may be able to see a blue heron below the overlook. Seeing the water slice around and over the rocks is tremendous. 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