Great Falls (VA Lines)Class V+
1 Miles
Avg Gradient 100 fpm
Max Gradient 500 fpm
2nd Descent of the Spout
2nd Descent of the Spout Photo of Bill Kirby by Rick Freimuth 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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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?)
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 | 3.03 Ft | med | 12/2 11:45 | |
| MD | Potomac— 4. Mather Gorge to Lock 10 | I-IV | 3.03 ft | med | 12/2 11:45 | |
| MD | Potomac— 5. Lock 10 to Little Falls | I | 3.03 feet | med | 12/2 11:45 | |
| MD | Potomac— 6. Little Falls | II-III(IV) | 3.03 ft | med | 12/2 11:45 | |
| MD | Potomac River— Great Falls (Center Lines) | V+ | 3.03 ft | low | 12/2 11:45 | |
| MD | Potomac River— Great Falls (MD Lines) | V+ | 3.03 ft | med | 12/2 11:45 | |
| MD | Potomac River— Great Falls (VA Lines) | V+ | 3.03 ft | med | 12/2 11:45 |
| 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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2008-10-27 10:04:35 (36 days ago)
Scott Anderson
Thanks for your input. As the streamkeeper, I have to use my best judgment when listing river data. The solutions aren't always ideal, but I will try to explain my rationale with regard to gradient. "Please explain how a 1 mile stretch of river can have average gradient of 100 fpm and maximum gradient of 500 fpm." The river drops 100 feet between the put-in and the take-out, which are 1 mile apart. So the average gradient is 100 fpm. However, the heart of the run drops 50 feet in 0.1 miles, for a maximum gradient of 500 fpm. "Maximum gradient figures cited 'up top' should always be computed across a full mile, otherwise they are meaningless." Says who? There is no standard way to calculate gradient. Leland Davis calculates gradient mile by mile in NC Rivers & Creeks, but Stafford and McCutcheon use terms like "200 fpm," "200 fpm action," and "200 fpm crux" in The New Testament. Which is right? Great Falls is a park and huck, so calculating gradient mile by mile would be meaningless. Nobody puts in above Great Falls unless they plan on running it. They're not there for the paddle in and the paddle out. The only section that counts is Great Falls itself, which is 500 fpm. I would put "500 fpm crux" if I could, but the AW page builder doesn't give me that option. Furthermore, removing the 500 fpm maximum gradient from 'up top' could mislead people into thinking Great Falls is no steeper than the Upper Yough. "If you wish to convey that some shorter portion has steeper gradient, you may express that within the text of the description..." The description includes the following statement: "The main Falls lines drop fifty feet in one-tenth of a mile." The reason I include the maximum gradient up top is that nobody reads the description.
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2008-10-08 03:17:05 (55 days ago)
Please explain how a 1-mile stretch of river can have average gradient of 100 FPM and maximum gradient of 500 FPM. Maximum gradient figures cited 'up top' should always be computed across a full mile, otherwise they are meaningless. If you wish to convey that some shorter portion has steeper gradient, you may express that within the text of the description (as "the river drops 50 feet in a quarter mile, for an effective gradient of 200 FPM") but that should NOT be in the 'Maximum Gradient' area. Edit
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2008-09-02 12:53:16 (90 days ago)
I was out here the other day to run the Spout. The temperature was supposedly about 93 degrees, but, even though I arrived on Flake Island after sunset, the heat was very, very oppressive. Sitting down to rest did not help, as the rocks were super-heated by the sun to around 120 degrees. I was rapidly becoming seriously dehydrated and probably lost about 30 percent of my strength before putting in to run the rapid. This rapid should probably not be scouted during daylight in the summer. So watch out for the summer heat; I came close to having a heat stroke!!! Also, the water temperature is close to 100 degrees, too, so it provides close to zero cooling. Edit
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| Mile | Rapid Name | Class | Features (Legend) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | U-Hole | 5.0 |  |
| 0.5 | S-Turn | 5.0 | |
| 0.6 | The Spout | 5.1 |  |
Negotiate the small ledges and rocks at the top, then either slide down the left or boof off the center. There's also a high-water sneak on the right called Norman's Leap (sometimes erroneously called Leonard's Leap) . The rock shelf protruding from the left bank below the drop is undercut.
Peel out from the river left cove, boof right off an angled ledge, and ride the roller coaster down. A short pool separates S-Turn from the Spout, with a convenient staging eddy on the right.
The Spout is the tallest individual drop in
The Crack (Class 5.2) is a high-water (3.3 < LF < 3.55) alternate line to the Spout. It requires you to ferry across powerful current and hit a boat-width slot at full speed. If you miss the slot, or get rejected by the boils guarding it, you will wash over the Spout backwards and get annihilated. Read the Local Paddler description for more details.
There's also a right line (Class 5.2) which involves skipping down the rock shelf jutting out from shore.
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