Just west of Washington DC, the Potomac River is funneled through a very rocky and narrow Mather Gorge. Named for the first director of the National Park Service, Stephen T. Mather, the gorge forces a wild, cascading river through a series of waterfalls totaling 76 feet. Once part of the Northern Virginia Parks System, Great Falls National Park joined the national park ranks in 1966.
   Not only is it a popular riverside park for visitors, area residents also enjoy the outdoor setting in this 800 acre park. Aside from the falls, the park includes the remnants of the Patowmack Canal. One of America’s first canals to use a locks system, the Patowmack Canal began operations in 1783. Used for only 26 years, riverboats ferried flour, corn furs, tobacco and whiskey from as far away as Cumberland, Maryland. Discovered during a restoration project, the canal's lock gates were uncovered during the 1980s. Funded in part by America’s first president, the locks proved unprofitable and were abandoned in 1830. Park grounds also protect Native American petroglyphs, located on the cliffs overlooking Difficult Run.
   A scenic trail, part of a 15 mile trail system, follows the Potomac upstream from the Difficult Run tributary. Several viewpoints overlook the falls, rated as extreme whitewater lingo. Beyond the falls, the Potomac continues to entertain kayakers with a milder Class 2-3 difficulty.

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