Great Falls Park

05/31/10

A nearly urban oasis

by Adam Renz , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

Just 20 - 30 short minutes (depending on your driving...I have a lead foot) from the hustle and bustle of the city is this amazing, natural little oasis straddling the Potomac River with park parts in VA and MD. Yup, I managed to make it dirty...

For hiking, the MD side is better. Do the Billy Goat Trail, which is broken up into several sections, but is easily managed in a couple hours, tops. It doesn't take an Iron Man to complete this bad boy, but please wear appropriate footwear. Nothing is more entertaining than watching someone attempt a rock scramble in flip-flops. The Billy Goat runs along the river, but other trails in the park take you further into the woods and some even pass by ruins of original homesteads.

For the views of the falls (as well as picnicking), the VA side is way better. If you can, time your visit for after a heavy rain when the falls will be raging and really provide maximum jaw-dropping action.

Biking along the canal is a great, low-impact, leisurely way to enjoy the park, too. Lots of people stroll the towpath, and it can get crowded in nice weather. But for some reason, people really don't stray off the path, so if you can get even half a mile onto a trail, you lose pretty much everyone.

• Pros: Amazing place for recreational and hardcore activitieshbg
• Cons: it gets dark and you have to leave