Great Falls Park
Great Falls Park is part of George Washington Memorial Parkway, a unit of the National Park System. It is not counted as a unit of its own.
At Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. The Patowmack Canal offers a glimpse into the early history of this country. Great Falls Park has many opportunities to explore history and nature, all in a beautiful 800-acre park only 15 miles from the Nation's Capital.
About under an hour from Washington and 1 hours from Baltimore by car.
Alerts
- ClosureNPS ↗Aid Box Rock Climbing Area Closed
The Aid Box rock climbing area is temporarily closed due to a recent rock topple.
- InformationTemporary Closures of Park Entrance Possible if Parking Lots Become Full
If parking lots become full, there will be a temporary closure of the park entrance at Georgetown Pike & Old Dominion Drive. The park entrance will re-open as soon as space becomes available. For updated information about parking, call Visitor Center at 703-757-3101
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleIncludes driver and passengers. Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers. Organized groups are not eligible for the vehicle permit. Also valid for entrance into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Admission to Great Falls Park is valid for seven consecutive days including date of purchase. | $20 | |
| MotorcycleAdmits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. Individuals 15 years of age and younger are admitted free of charge. Also valid for entrance into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Admission to Great Falls Park is valid for seven consecutive days including date of purchase. | $15 | |
| Per PersonApplies only to people entering by foot, bicycle, or horse. Individuals 15 years of age and younger are admitted free of charge. Also valid for entrance into the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. Admission to Great Falls Park is valid for seven consecutive days including date of purchase. | $10 | |
| Non-commercial GroupsIncludes church groups, college/school groups, scouts, service organizations, military, etc. All holders of annual passes and those under 15 years old will be exempt from payment of fees. Non-Commercial Groups in vehicles with a capacity of 15 or less are charged the $20.00 vehicle permit. Vehicles with a capacity of 16 or more are charged a fee of $10.00 per person. | $100 | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| VanVehicles with capacity of 7-25 passengers: $40. (No per person fee) | $40 | |
| Mini-busVehicles with capacity of 7-25 passengers: $40. (No per person fee) | $40 | |
| SedanVehicles with capacity of 1-6 passengers: $25 plus $3 per person. | $25 | |
| Motor CoachVehicles with capacity of 26+: $100. (No per person fee) | $100 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkValid for twelve months from the date of purchase. Pass is valid at Great Falls Park and C&O Canal National Historical Park for entrance fees only. Admits the pass holder and occupants of a single, private non-commercial vehicle OR pass holder and three person (16 and older) where per person entrance fees are charged. Not valid for organized groups or concession operated facilities or activities. | $35 | |
Passes are non-transferrable, non-refundable, not replaceable if lost or stolen, and are void if altered or reproduced. After purchasing your online pass at nps.gov or recreation.gov, please download your pass (QR code) BEFORE arriving at the park! There is limited cell service on site and you may have difficulty downloading once at the park. No cash is accepted for entry to the park.
Hours
| Park Hours | Daily · 7:00AM - Sunset |
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 7:00AM - Sunset |
| Dec 25, 2026December 25 | Closed |
Visitor centers
- Great Falls Park Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
Stop by the Visitor Center desk for trail maps, local information, pamphlets on nearby parks, and information on recreational activities. Volunteers and Rangers will be on hand to answer questions.
Explore
Things to do
- Soak Up Spectacular Views at the Great Falls Overlooks1-2 Hours
Great Falls Park has many opportunities to explore history and nature, all in a beautiful 800-acre park only 15 miles from the Nation's Capital.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike Algonkian Regional Park to Difficult Run3-6 Hours
This hike is mostly wooded; some parts are rocky and some can be rocky. But you will see, in some places, exceptional displays of bluebells in spring and colors in autumn.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Bird Walk - Guided Program10/1808:00 AM · runs through Dec 31 · free
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthRed Fox 128× · Bald Eagle 32× · Osprey 13× · Belted Kingfisher 10× · Peregrine Falcon 7× · Barred Owl 7× · Coyote 3×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 179 birds, 16 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barred Owl · Black Vulture · Broad-winged Hawk · Cooper's Hawk · Eastern Screech-Owl · Great Horned Owl · Hen Harrier · Merlin · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Turkey Vulture
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Bittern · American Black Duck · American Coot · American Wigeon · Black-crowned Night Heron · Blue-winged Teal · Bufflehead · Canada Goose · Common Goldeneye · Common Loon · Common Merganser · Common Teal · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green Heron · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · Lesser Scaup · Pied-billed Grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Tundra Swan · Wood Duck · Yellow-crowned Night Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsEuropean Herring Gull · Forster's Tern · Great Black-backed Gull · Ring-billed Gull · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pigeon · Mourning Dove · Northern Bobwhite · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-bellied Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift · Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Also on the checklistAcadian Flycatcher · American Cliff Swallow · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Redstart · American Robin · American Yellow Warbler · Baltimore Oriole · Barn Swallow · Bay-Breasted Warbler · Belted Kingfisher · Black-Capped Chickadee · Black-Throated Blue Warbler · Black-Throated Green Warbler · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue Jay · Blue-Winged Warbler · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Blue-headed Vireo · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Canada Warbler · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Chickadee · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Cerulean Warbler · Chestnut-Sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Starling · Common Yellowthroat · Crows · Dark-eyed Junco · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Towhee · Eastern Wood Pewee · Evening Grosbeak · Field Sparrow · Fish Crow · Fox Sparrow · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Gray Catbird · Gray-cheeked Thrush · Great Crested Flycatcher · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Warbler · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Kentucky Warbler · Louisiana Waterthrush · Magnolia Warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mourning Warbler · Nashville Warbler · Northern Cardinal · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orchard Oriole · Ovenbird · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Prothonotary Warbler · Purple Finch · Purple Martin · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Redhead · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Roughleg · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rusty Blackbird · Sand Martin · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Song Sparrow · Summer Tanager · Swainson's Thrush · Swainson's Warbler · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Tree Swallow · Tufted Titmouse · Veery · Warbling Vireo · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Worm-Eating Warbler · Yellow-Rumped Warbler · Yellow-Throated Warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-throated Vireo
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Common Muskrat · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern Gray Squirrel · Eastern Mole
PredatorsCross Fox · Striped Skunk · common raccoon
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Red Bat · Little Brown Bat · Tricolored bat
Also on the checklistCommon Opossum · Groundhog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks
Weather & climate
The Washington, D.C. area has a four-season Mid-Atlantic climate. Summer is hot and humid, and winter can be cold and snowy. Precipitation averages 2-4” monthly, year-round. The average temperature in summer is about 75 degrees F. Summer days in the mid-90's with high humidity are not uncommon. Winters vary in temperature, with the average temperature about 36 degrees F. Snow is rare. When it snows, it tends to melt within a few days.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Great Falls?
Entrance is $20 per private vehicle, $15 per motorcycle, and $10 per person on foot or bike. Includes driver and passengers.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Great Falls?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Great Falls-only annual pass is $35.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Great Falls takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Great Falls free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Great Falls?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Great Falls. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Great Falls?
Standard hours are 7:00AM - Sunset, every day. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
Is anything closed at Great Falls right now?
2 active alerts as of October 14, 2026: Aid Box Rock Climbing Area Closed; Temporary Closures of Park Entrance Possible if Parking Lots Become Full.
Source: Alerts
Is there cell service at Great Falls?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 4G LTE. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Great Falls?
The Washington, D.C. area has a four-season Mid-Atlantic climate.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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