Mammals

National Park Service

Beaver

The most commonly seen mammals in Great Falls Park are whitetail deer, Eastern chipmunks, and gray squirrels. Deer are the largest mammals found in the park, and typically give birth to one or two fawns in the spring. Does leave their fawns in one place while they go in search of food. If you find a fawn curled up in the woods, leave it in place, its mother will return for her baby.

Red foxes prefer to den on slopes or underneath trees in the woods. They eat a variety of foods, including mice, rabbits, birds, berries, and seeds. Pups are typically born in March or April.

Coyotes are also found in Great Falls Park. Encountering a coyote is an unlikely event, due to their shy, reclusive nature. Coyotes are known for adapting to live in many different environments and have even been seen in Rock Creek Park, located in Washington D.C.. They will eat small mammals, carrion, berries, vegetation, and sometimes birds. Coyotes help control prey populations, especially rats, which are a favorite meal. They are most active in the evening and at night. Because of that, interactions between coyotes and people are rare. Any sightings within Great Falls Park should be reported to park staff.

If you walk on the river trail above the falls, look for signs of beaver activity. Their diet in the winter consists of bark, and hikers can see the remains of trees that the beavers have felled. Beavers here live in dens they have dug into the riverbank, instead of dams. 

Nocturnal residents include raccoons and North America's only marsupial, the opossum. Bats are active at dusk, and can be observed near the picnic areas and parking lots as they hunt mosquitoes and other insects.

All wildlife is protected in the park. Observe animals from a distance, and do not feed or attempt to touch an animal. If you see an animal acting strangely, contact a park ranger.

 

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A word about bears-

One of the more frequently asked wildlife questions in the park is whether or not you can find bears here. This seems like a perfect area for a bear. There are places for them to den, plenty of things that a bear likes to eat, and a walk through the woods can give a hiker an impression that they might see a bear at any time.

Occasionally, a bear will make the news by wandering into Fairfax County, usually while searching for food or a mate. However, bears do not stay here for any length of time, and there are no bears living in Great Falls Park.

The reason for this is space and the park's location. Eight hundred acres may seem large to many people, but to a bear, it is not that much room at all. The park is located in a highly populated, urban county and has over a half million visitors each year. There is not enough space or distance from large numbers of people for a bear to be able to live in the park.

If you are visiting a park or an area that has bears, remember to keep your distance. Do not approach or feed any bear, especially a female with cubs.