"Great Falls of the Potomac" a Great Falls Travel Page by chewy3326

Great Falls is one of the least known attractions of the Washington DC metro area to visitors, and even we've never visited Great Falls. After doing some hiking in the area, I think "Great" does apply to this waterfall. Okay, it's not Niagara Falls or some giant western waterfall, but for the Mid-Atlantic Region, this is some pretty good scenery (You ever wonder how weird it is how many travel guides don't include Virginia as a Mid-Atlantic States, but alot of Virginians do?).

Great Falls is one of the few pockets of wilderness in this urban environment. Along with the falls, Mather Gorge on the Potomac River make up the best scenery in the area. It doesn't really seem possible that cliffs and waterfalls and narrow gorges can be found 15 minutes from the nation's capital.

I've visited the Virginia side of Great Falls Park twice: once in December 2005 and once in October 2006. The contrasts between the visits is startling; one season, the scene seems somewhat bleak, while the other season, everything is vibrant and alive.