Great Falls National Park

The other day my fiance and I took a short drive over to Great Falls, VA to enjoy some fresh air. While the drive was short, we had to sit in a long entrance line to the park once we got there. In the future, we will be leaving the house a little bit earlier to avoid sitting in the car for a half hour. Once we escaped from the automobile, though, we had an excellent time! This park has tons of picnic tables and open spaces outside the visitor center. It was pretty crowded with picnics, pets, and family outings, but there was plenty of room left over. A bonus which I did not expect was a concession stand! That's right. If you get there and decide granola bars aren't going to cut it, there is a full concession stand below the visitor center that offers plenty of affordable food options (even ice cream!).

 Moving past the entrance and picnics, the views here are gorgeous. There are some easily accessible views by the picnic area if you don't feel like a long hike. Some careful maneuvering over rocks may be required, so good shoes might be beneficial. However, I was surprised by the number of people I saw walking around in flip-flops and dresses. This site caters to all levels of outdoorsy individuals. You can see a beautiful series of waterfalls/rapids on the Potomac which are surrounded by rocky cliffs. We took the River Trail from the picnic area and enjoyed a scenic route overlooking the river. Warning: this trail has many rocks to clamber over and around. It is a fairly level trail, though, which makes for a leisurely, interesting walk. It was not quite the "hike" we were expecting. On the way back we took Old Carriage Road which was gravel-paved and lined with trees. Overall, this was a great outdoor experience close to D.C., and we will definitely by visiting again!