INTRODUCTION AND LOGISTICS
Great Falls National Park boasts plenty of postcard-worthy scenery less than 30 minutes from Reston and Herndon, earning its place as a unit of the National Park Service (NPS). Although the park closes at sunset, and there is no camping allowed, you'll still get the "national park experience" with the overflowing parking lots and crowded trails you might expect at bigger and more famous parks. My advice: visit on a weekday and walk downstream beyond the viewpoints by the visitors center for a peaceful experience with beautiful views and fewer people.
Admission is $20 per car, or free with an $80 annual America the Beautiful pass. The best deal is the $80 lifetime senior America the Beautiful pass, which is available to those of us 62 years and older. Restrooms are available at the visitors center.
HIKING
The (in)famous Billygoat Trail across the river in Maryland has sections that the NPS warns are"Technical and Strenuous," so we'll stay on the Virginia side, where the River Trail has some rocky sections, but most trails are wide, smooth, and well-marked. Nevertheless, I recommend picking up a map from the friendly staff at the visitors center or at least having an app on your phone for navigating the many intersections and allowing options if your plan - or ambition - changes.
For a great 5 mile loop, head upstream from the visitors center toward the River Trail. You'll quickly pass developed viewpoints where you can see the classic views of the falls. If you're lucky, you might see a skilled (and very brave) kayaker descending the falls. Continue about 1.4 miles on the River Trail to the Ridge Trail, navigating some rocky sections and passing countless secluded viewpoints. Take a break, soak in the view, and maybe you'll forget how close you are to the nation's capital. Some sections are much rockier than what I show below, so I'd leave the trekking poles at home because they would be more of a hassle than a help.
A half mile on the Ridge Trail brings you to a picnic table and an intersection with the Difficult Run Trail, an extension of the Cross County County Trail which deserves your exploration on another day. It also deserves its own blog post on another day! All this time, you have been on the Potomac Heritage Trail, which links to Riverbend Park upstream from the visitors center and continues to Seneca Regional Park.
Backtrack on the Ridge Trail to connect to the Old Carriage Road. The signs are generally clear, but the map is a nice confidence booster. As you'd guess, the old carriage road is wide and smooth, allowing you to stop watching every step and instead be distracted by the birds and other wildlife. You'll appreciate the change after the rocks on the River Trail. The park has many smooth trails like this for those who want to enjoy the outdoors without facing hazardous trails. On the pleasant fall Monday when I visited, there was plenty of parking, so I repeat my advice to avoid the weekend crowds.
FUN FACT
Great Falls National Park is on the Virginia Fall Line, where the land drops 50-100 feet marking the transition from the Piedmont to the Coastal Plain. These falls were a barrier to river transport and spurred the development of the various ox roads in Fairfax county - whose names persist to this day - to portage goods around the non-navigable falls.
LINKS
Great Falls National Park - https://www.nps.gov/grfa/index.htm
Cross County Trail - https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/trails/cross-county-trail
Riverbend Park - https://www.goodwolfgear.com/blogs/good-wolf-gear/riverbend-park