Potomac
3. Great Falls (MD Lines)
| Difficulty | V+ |
| Length | 0.4 mi |
| Avg Gradient | 100 fpm |
| Gauge | Potomac River Near Wash, Dc Little Falls Pump Sta |
| Flow Rate as of 47 minutes | 2.97 ftmedium runnable |
| Reach Info Last Updated | September 9, 2019 |
River Description
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).
The Maryland Lines are the highest volume channel of great falls. These 3 drops are generally run only at low water, and there is no easy line.
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
...River Features
Put In
Pummel
Also known as Sunburst. The line is level-dependent. Here are my general rules of thumb based on the Little Falls gage:
LF > 2.80 - Build up some speed and launch off the end of the diving board. This is quite possibly the sickest boof known to mankind. Miss the boof and learn how Pummel got its name.
2.60 < LF < 2.80 - The boof kicker turns into a rock, so run right side instead.
LF < 2.60 - The right side dries up at drought levels, forcing you to run the Notch on the left, which is one of the sweetest lines out here.
there are also other smaller chutes to the left of the notch that have been run at higher levels.
Below Pummel you have three options (from left to right): Pencil Sharpener, Z-Turn, and Charlie's Hole.
Pencil Sharpener
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 cross current or it will push you into the inhospitable crack on the left. Pencil Sharpener is the preferred option when LF < 2.80.
Z-Turn
Start left of center, then cut hard left down a twisting drop next to a huge midstream rock. Be careful not to get washed around the right side of this rock into Charlie's Hole. Choose a conservative line. Z-Turn is the preferred option when LF > 2.80.
Charlie's Hole
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 very little margin for error.
Take Out
Horseshoe
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.
2.60 < LF < 2.90 - Far Right (standard) line. slide down the entrance, dont spin out, and boof off the shelf that extends past the hole. You can approach this directly or by doing a hairy ferry on the SOS wave at very low levels.
LF < 2.60 - Center line. super low water only. Boof off the knuckle through the hole.
If you get stuck in Horseshoe the odds of surfing your way out are slim, so save some energy for the swim.
Trip Reports
Log in to add a reportStandard river right line at Horseshoe
the Notch at low water
Freewheel through 'the Notch'
looking down through 'the Notch'
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.
Jason Beakes running Pencil Sharpener during the 2007 Great Falls Race.
Seth Chapelle running Horseshoe during the 2007 Great Falls Race.
Geoff Calhoun on the way to winning the short boat class in the 2007 Great Falls Race.
Awesome gnar hole
Awesome gnar slide
Mark Andes ferrying below Charlie's hole.
The slot at the bottom of the photo is the entrance to Pencil Sharpener. To the left of the huge midstream boulder is Z-Turn, and to the right is Charlie's Hole. Horseshoe can be seen in the distance.