Today I went for a short hike with some friends in Great Falls, MD. The national park is along the Potomac river and can be accessed from the Virginia side and the Maryland side. We went to the MD side because the hikes are supposed to be more challenging there. The challege comes from rock scrambling, not so much from altitude. If you go there, be sure to wear good shoes. The section on the map called the Billy Goat trail is very rocky. If it's wet, you may slip on the rocks so be especially careful. Pets aren't allowed on this trail, and rightly so. I saw one poor dog looking scared to death going down a steep rock climb. From the visitor center, I'd recommend doing the Billy Goat trail out, and then coming back along the canal to parking. This circuit is only about 2.5 hours so it's a good half day trip.
I don't care for rock scrambling much, but I liked the area. The "falls" aren't really a huge waterfall, but more of a rapid. Due to the drought, the water level is pretty low so probably it's good for the kayakers. We were waiting for couple kayakers to go down one tough looking rapid, but they paddled to the shore. They either chickened out or were doing a recon - probably a smart move. Anyways, it's just nice to be able to come to a place like this with out a long drive.
Right now is also a good time to see the fall foliage. Again though, because of the drought, the colors aren't as vivid as they would normally be. Still nice though. Definitely will try to check it out again next year for the colors.
It's the Potomac river.
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