• Great Falls of the Potomac in summer

    Great Falls

    Park Virginia

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »
  • Trash Free Park

    Great Falls Park is now a trash free park. Trash cans have been removed. Please come prepared to carry your trash out with you. More »

2010 floods

The March 2010 flood was a result of snowmelt combined with rain. This flood was high enough to cover the clifftops in several places, but it did not flood the overlooks or reach the High Water Marks pole at Overlook 3.

Floods are a vital part of the ecosystem. They provide nutrient rich soil and sediment for the clifftop areas, home to a truly unique variety of plant life, in Great Falls Park. These areas would not be as diverse as they are without flooding. While the trash will be cleaned up, logs and other natural debris are left to decay, returning and adding nutrients to the soil.
 

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.