The Riverbend Road Trail is easily the least interesting of the hikes in northern Virginia’s Great Falls Park and is largely out of the way of the other trails in the park. Those seeking to conquer every trail in the area, however, may find some charms in this short, out-and-back jaunt. Situated in the park’s …
Continue reading Riverbend Road Trail (Great Falls Park, VA)
The Mine Run Trail is an oft-forgotten path nestled in the northwest section of Great Falls Park, away from the namesake waterfall, Mather Gorge, and Potomac River. Mine Run, nonetheless, is a lovely tributary of the Potomac and is the highlight of this pleasant, 0.7-mile stroll. Small cascades dot the creek, shaded under a thick …
It must have come as a surprise to early pioneers in the area northwest of present-day Washington, DC—where the Potomac River is mostly calm, wide, and still—to find a sudden, powerful plunge impassable by boat. Owing to a geomorphologic break extending 900 miles along the Eastern Seaboard, Great Falls tumbles 76 feet in less than …
Continue reading Great Falls Overlooks (Great Falls Park, VA)
Most outdoor types in the Washington, DC area will know the famously rugged Billy Goat Trail on the Maryland side of Great Falls. Across the river, however, is an equally—if not more—scintillating loop hike around Virginia’s Great Falls Park, featuring stunning vistas of the namesake falls and Mather Gorge, as well as a lovely meander …
Continue reading Great Falls Loop, including Difficult Run Trail (Great Falls Park, VA)
While not nearly as stunning as its southern neighbor Great Falls Park, northern Virginia’s Riverbend Park covers similar terrain with fewer crowds. A 3.7-mile circuit around the park—covering the Bootlegger Trail and a section of the Potomac Heritage Trail—covers the best that Riverbend has to offer, including a pleasant stroll along the Potomac River and …
Live and Let Hike 