Great Falls Park

Pros: Awe inspiring vistas of natural wonders.
Cons: Can be hot and muggy in the summer months.

Leap from the 14th Street Bridge into the mighty Potomac River. Turn upstream and strike out on a general compass heading of NNW. Using your favorite stroke – swim about 14 miles. Up ahead you should see the majesty of Great Falls Park.
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Pros: Outstanding park for sightseers as well as science and nature buffs.
Cons: Late spring and summer bring crowds. Come early or late.

Great Falls is a name that creates a dichotomy among metropolitan Washington area residents. Residents in the town of that name enjoy a median household income exceeding $100,000 while suffering through a cost of living that indexes 77% higher than the...

Pros: Nice Scenery, Fascinating History
Cons: Crowds, Relatively Small

    I have lived about 20 minutes from Great Falls National Park all my life. I visit the Park frequently to get in touch with nature. It is a nice relief after a week of driving on the beltway.

    In terms of scenery, the park is above...

Pros: Relaxing, beautiful setting.
Cons: Can be over-crowded on summer weekends.

I enjoy going there every weekend. The park is about five miles from the Capitol Beltway, about five miles west on Georgetown Pike in Virginia. The park has lots of parking, but still can become very crowded on summer Saturdays and Sundays. There is a...

Pros: Proximity to Washington D.C.
Cons: Small Fee to enter

Most visitors to Great Falls spend there time at one of the several lookout points which afford a terrific view of the falls themselves. The gorge cut by the river, however, provides a multitude of fun, though short, rock climbs. The climbs range from...

Pros: what a site
Cons: ????

If you are looking for something to do near the Washington D.C. area, I suggest take a few hours and hit Great Falls. There is so much to see, and what you see you will be amazed. The falls separate Virginia from Maryland. These falls are huge and are...

Pros: Beautiful scenery, easy commute from DC and the suburbs.
Cons: Parking can become limited on sunny summer afternoons.

Great Falls National Park is a wonderful place to go for many outdoor pleasures including picnicking, hiking, horse back riding, biking, kayaking, rock climbing, and photography. Although the parking can become hard to find on nice weekend summer afternoons, it is a beautiful place to go and relax, and the $5 per car fee makes it affordable. To find more information, you may visit the National Park Service's Great Falls Park page: http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/grfa/index.htm

Pros: Close to DC, peaceful, gorgeous view
Cons: Could be prone to become a high school hangout on the weekends

Few people take the time to leave Washington, DC once there, but Great Falls is worth it. About 45 minutes from downtown DC, the park offers an excellent view and a relaxing day. The hiking is not too intense, and there are many ways to get away from anyone else. If you are in the city and need to escape and be out in the countryside, this is the place to go. It is a great place for families, friends, and romantic evenings alike.