Great Falls Park
Managed by National Park Service
688 acres12.3 mi of trail
Ridge TrailRiver TrailDifficult Run TrailMatildaville Trail+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
William Gunnell House · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Great Falls
Great Falls has 47 miles of mapped trails, 1.8 for every square mile of land
1,334 acres are parks and preserves, 88 per 1,000 residents. 14% of Great Falls’ land is conserved, about 2,311 acres. The biggest trail networks: Great Falls Park (12.3 mi), Riverbend Park (9.7 mi), Difficult Run Stream Valley Park (1.7 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #34 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
2,311 acres · of 25.4 sq mi of land
Trails
47 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,334 ac
88 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
58%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.3 mi
0.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Great Falls?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 92% of U.S. towns.Room to roam88 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild14% of the land is conserved; a typical Virginia town, 4%.History along the way8 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Great Falls have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Great Falls is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #34 of 253 in Virginia. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Great Falls’ overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (47 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land88 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,334 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13AParks close to home58% of residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 87%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Great Falls Park, with 12.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Riverbend Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
400 acres9.7 mi of trail
Potomac Heritage TrailBootlegger TrailFollow the Hollows TrailMadison's Escape Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Difficult Run Stream Valley Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
75 acres1.7 mi of trail
Cross County TrailCCT Underpass Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Difficult Run Parking Lot
Great Falls Nike Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
45 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fraser Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
276 acres0.6 mi of trail
Potomac Heritage TrailBlue Fraser Preserve Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
The Turner Farm Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
47 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Colvin Run Mill Park
Managed by Fairfax County Park Authority
11 acres0.3 mi of trail
Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Great Falls Park688 acres · 12.3 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsRiverbend Park400 acres · 9.7 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsDifficult Run Stream Valley Park75 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsGreat Falls Nike Park45 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsFraser Preserve276 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
The Turner Farm Park47 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsColvin Run Mill Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsLexington Estates Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Hickory Run School Site11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
Great Falls Grange Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fairfax County Park Authority
DirectionsWindermere Park24 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
Observatory Park7 acres
DirectionsHolly Knoll Park6 acres · Fairfax County Park Authority
Who protects it
2,311 conserved acres
14% of Great Falls’ land. Who manages Great Falls’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,311 ac
National Park Service680 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits383 ac
Other state land20 ac
Not recorded902 ac
Local Park · 2,213 acSpecial Designation Area · 680 acPrivate Conservation · 232 acConservation Easement · 83 acOther Easement · 78 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 88 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Potamac Properties Park Local Park | County | 1,293 | Open |
| George Washington Memorial Parkway Special Designation Area | National Park Service | 680 | Restricted |
| Riverbend Park Local Park | County | 400 | Open |
| Fraser Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 232 | Closed |
| Difficult Run Stream Valley Park Local Park | Not recorded | 147 | Open |
| Lexington Estates City Park Local Park | County | 140 | Open |
| Great Falls Nike Local Park | Not recorded | 91 | Open |
| Windermere Local Park | County | 48 | Open |
| Great Falls Grange Park Local Park | Not recorded | 27 | Open |
| Colvin Run Mill City Park Local Park | Not recorded | 23 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
19 places to go in Great Falls
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Great Falls
Turner Farm PlaygroundIn The Turner Farm Park
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Great Falls
Sandy LandingIn Great Falls Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Great Falls
Great Falls Overlook 1In Great Falls Park
DirectionsGreat Falls Overlook 2In Great Falls Park
DirectionsGreat Falls Overlook 3In Great Falls Park
DirectionsOverlook rock, high
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Great Falls
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Great Falls
Camp FraserIn Fraser Preserve
DirectionsDisc golf in Great Falls
Krop's Crops
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 16.7 miHorses · 10.3 miUnpaved · 42.8 mi
Potomac Heritage Trail7.5 mi
Bootlegger Trail1.9 mi
Green Trail, South1.6 mi
Cross County Trail1.5 mi
Ridge Trail1.5 mi
River Trail1.3 mi
Follow the Hollows Trail1.2 mi
DCWA0.9 mi
Difficult Run Trail0.8 mi
FCWA0.7 mi
15 more trails
Orange Trail
0.6 miWhite Trail to Yellow
0.6 miMadison's Escape Trail
0.6 miMatildaville Trail
0.6 miBlue Trail
0.5 miRed Trail
0.5 miMine Run Trail
0.5 miRiverbend Road Trail
0.4 miSwamp Trail
0.4 miSwamp Ridge Connector Trail
0.4 miBlue Fraser Preserve Trail
0.3 miWolfpack Trail
0.2 miPotomac Heritage Access Trail
0.2 miUnblazed, road to bench by river
0.2 miYellow East
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Fairfax Cross County TrailBike route
2.3 miCourts & fields
20Tennis
9Equestrian
8Baseball
6Basketball
4Soccer
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Cornwell FarmBuilding · listed 1977
About itColvin Run MillBuilding · listed 1977
About itWilliam Gunnell HouseBuilding · listed 2003
About itFour StairsBuilding · listed 2004
About itGreat Falls Grange Hall and Forestville SchoolBuilding · listed 2004
About itJohn Gunnell HouseBuilding · listed 2006
About itBloomfieldBuilding · listed 2013
About itGreat Falls Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2014
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Great Falls: April and August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 46 | 54 | 66 | 74 | 83 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 67 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Great Falls →
Next door
Great Falls and its neighbors
Great Falls has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | 14% | 1.8 | 88 | 58% | A |
| McLean | 15% | 1.7 | 26 | 96% | A |
| Wolf Trap | 17% | 2.6 | 61 | 89% | A+ |
| Dranesville | 12% | 0.5 | 25 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Great Falls
Where can I hike in Great Falls?
The longest trail networks: Great Falls Park, 12.3 miles; Riverbend Park, 9.7 miles; Difficult Run Stream Valley Park, 1.7 miles; Great Falls Nike Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Great Falls is conserved land?
14% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Virginia town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Great Falls’ trails?
Great Falls Park and Riverbend Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Great Falls?
0.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of off-road paths. Named routes: Fairfax Cross County Trail.
Is there public land near Great Falls?
24,138 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Great Falls or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,334 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Great Falls have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #34 of 253 in Virginia. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Great Falls neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →