• Great Falls of the Potomac in summer

    Great Falls

    Park Virginia

Natural Features & Ecosystems

Great Falls Park is located in an area of change. The Potomac River drops 77 feet in less than a mile here on its journey to the Chesapeake Bay. 

On these pages, you can learn more about the Potomac Gorge and the Falls.

The Potomac Gorge- a downloadable brochure with information on the ecosystems of the Gorge.

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Side 2

Did You Know?

Ice in the Potomac and Falls

Water temperatures in the Potomac can drop to freezing and ice will form along the banks. However, the water is moving too quickly through the Great Falls to completely freeze over.