School's out and the kids are home. If yours are like mine, they would be content to sit in front of a screen for 8 hours a day every day. And, if you are like me, this drives you crazy! Since we are not in preschool during July, I'm planning to get my kids out of the house and away from their devices. One of our favorite local places to visit is Great Falls National Park.
Great Falls can be seen from both Virginia and Maryland. We stuck to the Virginia side for this trip. The water was high and gorgeous. You can hear it when you enter the park before you can even see it.
Great Falls has a history of incredible flooding. This water level post shows how high it reached in each of the flooding years. Can you imagine what it would have been like in 1936? Yikes.
The water is breath-taking. We just stood and stared at it for a long while. Pictures don't really do it justice!
Lots of people were celebrating and having picnics at the park. There were tables, grills, and plenty of shade.
When it got too hot, we headed into the air-conditioned Visitor Center to watch a short movie about the history of the falls.
We also made sure to stop at the information desk and stamp our
National Park Passports. Our kids love these, and they are such a fun record of all the places we visit.
A few of our kiddos are history buffs, so we explored the ruins of the Patowmack Canal. It was George Washington's idea to take full advantage of the opportunities that the Potomac River had to offer in the late 18th century. This canal was his project until he became president.
"Must Knows" Before you Go:
Entrance Fees: $10/car
Parking: Ample free parking
Things to Take: Water, lunch, National Park passports, trash bag (no trash cans on site!)
Amenities: Picnic tables, concession stand, air conditioned visitor and theater, nice bathrooms, water fountains
Good for Ages: Good for the whole family. The paths are well-paved and should be fine for strollers.
For More Information: http://www.nps.gov/grfa/index.htm
Enjoy this summer with your family!
You might also enjoy this post about a not-so-local National Park:
Not sure I should admit this ... afraid you might take away my "Good Momma" card ... we have NEVER visited Great Falls - NEVER! I've lived here all my life and we've never been! Think we might have to head on out after Bible Camp is done for the day at some point next week. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful spot with all the water rushing over the rocks. I live in Lake Havasu Arizona and our poor Mohave River is lower than it has been for a while but we still get a lot of boaters and people coming here to see the London Bridge and boat on the water in the lake. Thanks for the beautiful pictures. Hope to visit the area sometime.
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