Great Falls Park
About Great Falls Park
The Great Falls Park is operated by the US National Park Service. Located at the fall line of the Potomac River, on the southern banks in Virginia, and along the northern banks of the river in Maryland. On the Maryland side of Great Falls is The Patowmac Canal, completed in 1803 by the Patowmack Company, and designed to bypass rapids in the Potomac River upstream of the present Washington, D.C. area.
Great Falls Park is home of the Billy Goat Trail. Billy Goat is a 4.7 mile (7.6 km) hiking trail that follows a path between the Patowmack Canal and the Potomac River. The trail has three sections: Section A, the northernmost, is 1.7 miles (2.7 km); Section B is 1.4 miles (2.3 km); and Section C, the southernmost, is 1.6 miles (2.6 km).
Directions (Great Falls, MD)
From Interstate 495:
Maryland: Take exit 41 (Carderock /Great Falls, MD), follow Clara Barton Parkway to the end. At the stop sign, turn left onto MacArthur Blvd. Follow MacArthur approximately 3.5 miles into the park. MacArthur Blvd. ends at the park.
Virginia: Cross into Maryland over the American Legion Bridge (beltway inner loop) and take exit 41 (Clara Barton Parkway) Westbound, left at fork. Follow Clara Barton to the end. At the stop sign, turn left onto MacArthur Blvd. Follow MacArthur Blvd approximately 3.5 miles into the park. MacArthur Blvd. ends at the park.
From Washington DC:
Take M Street to fork. You can follow either MacArthur Blvd, the right fork or take Canal Road, the fork to the left.
MacArthur Blvd.: Follow MacArthur until it ends at the entrance to the Great Falls section of the park, approximately 8 miles.
Canal Road: Follow to Chain Bridge. At stop light continue straight ahead. Canal Road changes into Clara Barton Parkway. Follow Clara Barton Parkway to the end. At the stop sign, turn left onto MacArthur Blvd., and follow it for approximately 3.5 miles until it ends at the park.
From Frederick, Maryland:
Follow Interstate 270 south toward Washington, DC. Take exit 5 (Falls Road). Exit right toward Potomac on Falls Road. Follow Falls Road 6 miles until it intersects with MacArthur Blvd.. At stop sign turn right into the park.
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