Great Falls Park

Here the Potomac River plunges nearly 80 feet through a jagged gorge in a series of dramatic cascades just outside Washington, D.C. The park also preserves ruins of George Washington's Patowmack Canal of 1785, the first canal in America to use locks, built to skirt the falls.

Take in the falls from three overlooks near the visitor center and explore the canal ruins. For a challenge, follow the rocky River Trail along the rim of Mather Gorge, and the gorge cliffs draw technical rock climbers.