Great Falls (abut 50-60 minutes away on the west side of the DC Beltway) is an example of the way that history and recreation often come together in a way that's relatively unique to the Washington, DC area.
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| Eva the Canal Boat Mule |
Great Falls marks the point on the Potomac River where rapids make the river unnavigable. The Virginia State Park there features rock climbing while the National Park on the Maryland side hosts a very small historic center for the
Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, and visitors can also walk along the towpath and hike
The Billy Goat Trail.
History of the C&O Canal
George Washington recognized that transportation was a critical component for tying together the new nation and encouraging commerce.
At his urging a canal was planned to run parallel to the Potomac for the transport of goods and passengers, starting from Georgetown and ending at the headwaters of the Ohio River near Pittsburgh, PA.
Construction began in 1828 and would finish 22 years later in Cumberland, MD after 184.5 miles of arduous manual labor, short of its original goal. The canal would operate for 100 years despite being largely superseded by the railroad, and today is a national park that runs across its entire length.
A small museum is located in the Great Falls Tavern located next to the locks at Great Falls. You can also pay for a short ride on a mule-drawn barge there (and also at the terminus in Georgetown) during the warmer months.
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| Historic mule-drawn barge |
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| Rapids at Great Falls |
A Park for Recreation
But what makes the C&O Canal National Historic Park so representative of DC area recreational facilities is that this historic setting is also the location of
miles of pathways along the canal towpath.
These paths are used daily by dozens of pedestrians (often accompanied by their pets), joggers, and bicyclists, with several scenic observation points for looking out on the rapids at Great Falls.
