Great Falls (MD Lines)Class V+
1 Miles
Avg Gradient 100 fpm
Max Gradient 500 fpm
2007 Great Falls Race
2007 Great Falls Race Photo of Geoff Calhoun by Rick McNamara taken 2007-07-14 @ 2.76 Gauge Information
Potomac River
River Description
This reach description was borrowed/adapted from the WorldKayak.com river wiki. Overview
Great Falls of the Potomac River is a major set of rapids located about 15 miles upstream of Washington, DC. The main Falls lines drop fifty feet in one-tenth of a mile, creating a Class V+ set of waterfalls. In addition, a portion of the river flows around Olmstead Island in a channel called the Fish Ladder (additional channels flow at higher water).
History
Paddlers have known about Great Falls as long as there has been whitewater kayaking. Many of the features -- such as the Spout, the Fingers, the Fish Ladder -- have names that predate paddling, in some cases by hundreds of years. But it was not until paddlers started running waterfalls regularly in the 1970s that paddlers began to seriously consider running the Falls. The first descent of Great Falls was made in 1975 by local experts Tom McEwan and Wick Walker, with the second descent by Steve McConaughy and Great Falls National Park Ranger Bill Kirby.
Access
Access to the river is restricted on both the Maryland and Virginia sides.
Maryland Side - Paddlers may put in anywhere on the Maryland shore, but may not leave the boardwalk across Olmstead Island. To run the Falls from the Maryland side, most people put in above and run the aqueduct dam, or put in below the dam at higher levels. Virginia Side - Paddlers may not put in upstream of the Falls. To run the Falls from the Virginia side you must put in at Fisherman's Eddy and then ferry and carry above both O-Deck rapid and the Falls themselves. Carry up the Flake for multiple laps. If the rocks are wet, this can be sketchier than running the Falls.
Running Great Falls is currently unrestricted. However, to maintain good relations with the National Park Service paddlers voluntarily restrict their runs to less populated times in the park—early morning, late evening, or weekdays—and limit group size and time spent in the rapid.
The Park Service is concerned about running the Falls at popular times because it can draw spectators down off the observation decks and closer to the river's edge -- where they might fall in the water and drown. And, if paddlers spend a lot of time running around and relaxing in the Falls, it can give the impression that such activities are not very difficult or dangerous. Since 1975, at least 30 people have drowned in Great Falls, so the Park Service is understandably nervous about this.
For more information, see the Guidelines for Running Great Falls as written by the Canoe Cruisers Association in 1999. Today regular Falls runners continue to dialog with the Park Service to make sure access remains open to all.
River Signals and Helicopters
The Park Service patrols the Potomac with a helicopter most summer weekends. In an effort to minimize confusion, the helicopter pilots are trained to recognize three signals from paddlers.
Don't signal the helicopters unless you need them! And if being inspected, be sure to give the OK sign if you don't need assistance. Sometimes hikers call in "emergencies" that aren't actually emergencies.
StreamTeam Status: unverified
Last Updated: unknown
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It's never too low for the MD Lines. Below 2.6' is ELF, but there are runnable channels at least down to 2.4', and most summers the river never gets that low. So when everyone else is whining about the drought, you still have a class V playground in your backyard. Count your blessings. I'd say 2.6' to 2.7' is a good first time level. Above 2.8' the holes get mean, and above 3.0' they're vicious. The MD Lines can certainly be run higher than 3.1', but if you're considering it you don't need this guide.
The gage is located at Little Falls (aka Brookmont) Dam, where the river is very wide. Consequently, an inch on the gage can translate to a foot at Great Falls. The gage is also 8-9 miles downstream, so if the river is rising or falling rapidly there could be a discrepancy between the gage reading and the actual level. Scout the rapids visually if there is any doubt. (You were going to do that anyway, right?)
USGS Potomac River / Little Falls Gage
NOAA Prediction for Little Falls Gage
Potomac R/Little Falls, MD (R) [ MD ] |
Current Conditions
Station Graphs |
| Level Legend: | Running | Below Minimum Recommended Flow | Above Maximum Recommended Flow | Unknown |
| State | River Name/Section | Class | Level | Rel. Level | Updated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MD | Potomac— 2. Violette's Lock/GW Canal Loop | I-II | 2.93 Ft | med | 10/7 5:45 | |
| MD | Potomac— 4. Mather Gorge to Lock 10 | I-IV | 2.93 ft | med | 10/7 5:45 | |
| MD | Potomac— 5. Lock 10 to Little Falls | I | 2.93 feet | med | 10/7 5:45 | |
| MD | Potomac— 6. Little Falls | II-III(IV) | 2.93 ft | med | 10/7 5:45 | |
| MD | Potomac River— Great Falls (Center Lines) | V+ | 2.93 ft | low | 10/7 5:45 | |
| MD | Potomac River— Great Falls (MD Lines) | V+ | 2.93 ft | med | 10/7 5:45 | |
| MD | Potomac River— Great Falls (VA Lines) | V+ | 2.93 ft | med | 10/7 5:45 |
| AW Gauge ID: | 569 |
| USGS Station: | 01646500 |
| HUC: | 02070008 |
| Latitude: | 38.9494 |
| Longitude: | -77.1278 |
| Class: | 4 |
No guide books for this stream. If you know of a book that describes this stream please contact and advise the StreamTeam member for this run. User Comments |
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2008-08-13 05:06:05 (55 days ago)
Mark Andes
The rocks that make up the Flake and MD side carry up get extremely hot. Even when the day time high is bearable being out on the rocks here adds a whole new element keeping in mind that the water temperatures can reach 90 degrees. When going out there bring water and be very wary of the dangers of overheating and it's ability to affect your performance.
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| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | Pummel | 5.0 |   |
| 0.5 | Pencil Sharpener | 5.0 | |
| 0.5 | Z-Turn | 5.0 | |
| 0.5 | Charlie's Hole | 5.2 |  |
| 0.5 | Horseshoe | 5.1 | |
Also known as Sunshine (née Sunburst) and Tumblehome. The line is level-dependent. Here are my general rules of thumb based on the Little Falls gage:
LF > 2.75 - Build up some speed and launch off the point. This is quite possibly the SIKest boof known to mankind. Miss the boof and learn how Pummel got its name.
2.60 < LF < 2.75 - The point turns into a roostertail, so run right instead.
LF < 2.60 - The right side dries up, forcing you to run the Notch on river left.
Below Pummel you have three options (from left to right): Pencil Sharpener, Z-Turn, and Charlie's Hole.
Enter the narrow slot against the river left shore, boof 2-3' onto a boil, and slide down a broken shelf. You must anticipate the side current or it will push you into the inhospitable crack on the left. Pencil Sharpener is the preferred option when LF < 2.80.
Start left of center, then cut hard left down a twisting drop next to a huge midstream boulder. Be careful not to get washed around the right side of this boulder into Charlie's Hole. Choose a conservative line. Z-Turn is the preferred option when LF > 2.80.
A 10-foot sluice into a super-powerful hole surrounded by underwater sieves. It’s named after Charlie Crowley, who escaped by crawling out along the bottom (bursting both eardrums in the process). This line used to be run regularly by boofing left into the eddy, but after numerous close calls and one fatality almost nobody runs it anymore. There is no margin for error.
The scariest hole on the Potomac other than Charlie's, Horseshoe has been the site of many near-drownings. The line is level-dependent. Here are my general rules of thumb:
LF > 2.90 - Left line. Boof onto a rocky runout.
2.80 < LF < 2.90 - Right line is beefy and left line is manky. Pick your poison.
2.60 < LF < 2.80 - Right (standard) line. Boof off the narrow shelf that extends past the hole. You can approach this directly or by doing a hairy ferry on the SOS wave.
LF < 2.60 - Center line. Boof off the tongue.
If you get stuck in Horseshoe, your chance of surfing your way out is virtually nil, so save energy for the swim.
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