Guided Hike and Picnic at Great Falls

A morning of adventure, excitement, and our own picnic with new friends along the Great Falls trail.

The river here was a trading place for Indians and early colonists. History buffs and geology enthusiasts find plenty to interest them in the ruins of George Washington’s dream canal and in the natural structure of the gorge itself. The Patowmack Company (using the name given to the river by the local Powhatan Indians) was formed in 1784 to construct a series of five canals to make the river navigable.

Together, we will choose a scenic trail to follow and enjoy, making several stops along the way before the conclusion of our hike. Perhaps we will break on a nice rock or by a waterfall to set up our picnic. While the trail can be difficult to follow in spots (due to a large number of informal trails in the area, and extremely poor route marking), it is spectacular and well worth a visit. The River Trail is relatively level and very rocky. It can be wet and muddy in spots after it has rained. The end of the Patowmack Canal can be found farther along the trail, and the man-made gorge blown through solid rock is impressive. As the River Trail approaches Cow Hoof Rock, it climbs steeply to a connection with the Ridge Trail, an old gravel road.

Please note that we will all go together on a self-guided tour. While we will have a TTD tour leader, we will not have a professional tour guide leading this hike.

Pack small bag of lunch for the picnic. We also recommend at least two bottles of water for the hike.

NOTE: Participants all hike at their own risk.

Necessary Equipment: Cash for the park entrance fee, hiking shoes, lots of water, insect repellant, sunglasses, sunscreen, comfortable clothes, band-aids, camera.

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