Entrance Fees and Park Passes
Entrance fees are only collected at the Great Falls Entrance Station. Over 80% of the fees collected are returned to the park for specific projects. All other access to the park is free.
America the Beautiful Passes, Senior Passes, and Annual Passes may only be purchased at the Great Falls Entrance Station. More information on these and other passes can be found by visiting the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program.
Three Day Pass
$10 - per private, non-commercial vehicle (include motorcycles, passenger cars, pickup trucks, RV's and vans).
$5 - per person 16 years of age or older when entering on foot or bicycle
Park passes are valid for the date of purchase plus two days at the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River.
Annual Pass
$30 - Valid for one full year from the month of purchase. Permits access to Great Falls Park, Virginia and the Great Falls area of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on the Maryland side of the Potomac River. The annual pass allows entrance for the pass holder and additional passengers in a single private non-commercial vehicle, or pass holder plus three adults when entering on foot or bicycle.
Commercial Tour
$25 - 1-6 passenger capacity plus $3 per person.
$40 - 7- 25 passenger capacity
$100 - 26+ passenger capacity vehicle
Academic Groups (Schools, home-school groups, Colleges and Universities)
Academic groups who are visiting the Great Falls area of park for a ranger led program have an automatic entrance fee waiver. If you are an accredited academic institution or group coming to the Great Falls area of the park for a curriculum based visit, but are not having a ranger led program, you must apply for an academic fee waiver. All materials must be provided in order to be considered. A fee waiver is not guaranteed. Allow up to two weeks for processing. Please email this application to Fee Manager Shaun Lehmann at shaun_lehmann@nps.gov
Non-profit groups (Scouts, church, clubs...)
Vehicles with a passenger capacity of 16 or more persons, $5 per person age 16 and over or commercial rate whichever is cheaper.
Vehicles with passenger capacity of fewer than 16 persons, $10 for the vehicle or commercial rate whichever is cheaper.
The commercial pass is valid for date of purchase plus two days. Please note that fees are based on vehicle capacity and not actual occupants.
