Over the Edge in Great Falls Park

Seth B, also known as the Modern Day Explorer, on Hashtag 59 back at you with another adventure destination I wanted to share. This one is located in Virginia, not far from several big cities in the US on the east coast. However what I was able to experience and see is simply hard to put into words. Great Falls Park is host to some of the most wild kayaking and white water rapid drops I have ever seen and I was fortunate enough to capture some of this on film when I was in the area hiking and exploring. Go over the Edge in Great Falls Park with me in this article!

Great Falls Park is part of the National Parks system but isn’t one of the “63” US National Parks. I am closing in on visiting all of them and perhaps I’ll continue to visit all 400 something so this one is checked off! And technically I marked two off my list because as the NPS website states “Take note that there are two (2) national parks in the area of Great Falls - Great Falls Park on the Virginia Side (this website), and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park on the Maryland side.”

My brother lives in Washington DC (John B is also a contributor to Hashtag 59) and what’s amazing about this place is its only 15 miles from the Nation’s Capital!
Pretty crazy when you look at the photos and realize you could be here after walking to see the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials in the morning.

Great Falls Park has just 15 miles of hiking trails but you can also use them as biking and horseback riding so whatever mode of travel you prefer you will have a way to be outside and on the trails. But the real gems of the photos I captured weren’t the views from the hiking but the kayakers below on the river.

The sign is no joke and when you see the below photos you will know what I am talking about. The Colorado River in the Grand Canyon and the Gully in West Virginia are world famous for great rapids but there are some stretches and jumps here that you can’t even take part in on those rivers. Check out what I am talking about below!

Seriously…I couldn’t believe this was about to happen! The Potomac River is rushing and raging and that dip looked enormous.

Ready….

And a safe landing! Great Falls Park is beautiful while small. It’s also really easy to get to. If you are a hiker or biker there’s a limited amount of great trails with solid views.

However if you are an experienced and risk taking kayaker I don’t know how you couldn’t add this place to your list and take a dip like those two kayakers did while I was on my hike.
On a clear day like I was there for as well this place is a nature photographer’s dream. The National Parks go way beyond the 61 that we often think about. This is just another example that adventure is everywhere, even 15 miles from The White House!

Have you ever been to Great Falls Park or had a kayaking experience like the ones Seth B captured on camera? Drop us a line in the comments and let us know!

Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Seth B and the Hashtag 59 Team