Information Panel: Explore A Trail Network
in Virginia · centroid 13 mi from Washington
You are standing on part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. Discover the Potomac River up close here at Great Falls Park with sweeping views of the river and its largest falls. Dynamic river forces have exposed ancient metamorphic bedrock and created unique and rare plant communities.
Archeology suggests that indigenous people used the area as fishing and seasonal hunting grounds. Early Americans saw the falls as an obstacle to trade and settlement. In 1785 they built the Potowmack Canal to make the river navigable for trade and settlement in lands to the West.
Here, and along the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, you can explore the wonders of the Potomac- the Nation's River. Have a Safe Experience Welcome to Great Falls Park. We hope that you enjoy your time exploring the Potomac River Gorge, but please remember to keep your own safety in mind.
- States
- Virginia
- Trail type
- Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Washington, DC · 13 mi · ~25 min drive
- Centroid coords
- 38.9970°, -77.2554°
About Great Falls Park
This trail is inside Great Falls Park, a park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $20 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/information-panel-explore-a-trail-network.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/grfa/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Information Panel: Explore A Trail Network and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Olmsted Island and Overlook Trail
0 miles from this trail's centroid
Filene Center Loop picnic area
4 miles from this trail's centroid
Muddy Branch Greenway Trail
6 miles from this trail's centroid
Information Panel: The Clara Barton Trail
7 miles from this trail's centroid
Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail
11 miles from this trail's centroid
Seneca Creek Greenway
11 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.