Great Falls of the Potomac

E10041

natural landmark rapids waterfall

The Great Falls of the Potomac is a dramatic series of rapids and waterfalls where the Potomac River cascades through a narrow, rocky gorge, forming one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s most striking natural landmarks.

Aliases (3)

Statements (47)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	natural landmark → rapids → waterfall →
accessedVia	C&O Canal towpath, Maryland side → Great Falls Park, Virginia entrance →
approxDistanceFrom	15 miles northwest of Washington, D.C. → 24 kilometers northwest of Washington, D.C. →
characterizedBy	narrow rocky gorge → powerful rapids → series of cascades →
country	United States →
elevationDropApprox	20 meters → 76 feet →
formsBorderBetween	Maryland → Virginia →
geologicalSetting	Piedmont-Atlantic Coastal Plain fall line →
hasInterpretiveSignage	canal and transportation history → geology and river history →
hasOverlooks	multiple river and falls viewing platforms →
hasTrailAccess	Billy Goat Trail (nearby on Maryland side) →
hazardLevelForBoating	high →
knownFor	dramatic scenery → spring flood events → strong currents →
locatedIn	Maryland → Mid-Atlantic region → Virginia →
locatedOnRiver	Potomac River →
managedBy	National Park Service →
nearestCity	Washington, D.C. →
nearFeature	historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal → remains of Patowmack Canal →
partOf	Potomac River Gorge → Potomac River watershed →
partOfProtectedArea	Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park → Great Falls Park →
popularFor	hiking → rock climbing → sightseeing → whitewater kayaking →
region	Chesapeake Bay drainage basin →
safetyConcerns	strong currents and slippery rocks →
touristAttractionFor	international tourists → local visitors →
viewpointsFrom	Maryland side overlooks → Virginia side overlooks →
withinMetropolitanAreaOf	Washington metropolitan area →

Referenced by (10)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Georgetown Pike →	accesses
Northern Virginia ("Great Falls") →	hasSubregion
Great Falls Park →	hasViewOf
Harpers Ferry railroad bridge over Potomac River ("Potomac River gorge at Harpers Ferry") →	locatedIn
remains of Patowmack Canal →	locatedNear
Billy Goat Trail →	near
Potomac, Maryland →	nearbyAttraction
Potomac River →	notableFeature
Overlook 1 →	overlooks
Overlook 1 ("Potomac River gorge") →	situatedOn