Self-guided Waterfall Hiking Tour through Great Falls National Park in Maryland booking from $5.00

Self-guided Waterfall Hiking Tour through Great Falls National Park

Overview

SELF-GUIDED AUDIO TOUR:
Amble along the cliffs overlooking the Potomac River, taking in thundering waterfalls, exciting rock climbing excursions, and the region’s most perilous kayaking spots. On this self-guided audio tour, you’ll have an opportunity to explore a few hidden gems found on the Great Falls Park trails. I’ll also show you one of my favorite, wilder paths at the national park - all guided step-by-step through GPS.

You’ll see that there’s much more to Great Falls than its viewing platforms. I’ll point you in the direction of the areas tourists don't know about, including views of hidden waterfalls, the region's best rock climbing and rappelling spots, and a route along the canal and through an abandoned colonial-era city. There are also several opportunities to go off-trail to get up-close with the rapids at the falls.

This tour can take up to two hours and, while it’s not especially strenuous, it’s plenty exciting!

Note: Parking at Great Falls is not included.

City: Maryland

Mon 12 May

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Starting at $5.00

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Mon 12 May

Starting at $5.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Audio Tour - GPS triggered and hands free

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Self-Guided Audio Tour. No Tour Guide.
Cell Phone is required, headphones recommended
Parking ($20) is NOT included
Please download the app prior to entering Great Falls Park

What To Expect

Great Falls Park

This is a SELF-GUIDED Audio Tour of Great Falls National Park. The self-guided audio tour begins at the Great Falls Visitor Center. Great Falls Park - the 3rd largest waterfalls in the United States, and one of the largest national parks immediately accessible to Washington DC. With a $20 vehicle access pass (not included in Viator package), you will have full access to the extensive Great Falls Park grounds and trails. The Viator package includes a guided step-by-step audio tour, including a walking map that syncs to your phone's GPS, as well as a narrated tour with over an hour of commentary about Great Falls and its hidden treasures. To ensure an ideal self-guided tour: Because cell phone service can be less than ideal, please download the VoiceMap app and Great Falls Tour before entering Great Falls Park grounds. When using the VoiceMap app, please enable GPS/Location to enable the GPS triggered tour.

Great Falls

The third largest waterfalls in the United States. A must see if you're in the Washington DC area. You'll have 3 different viewing platforms for these amazing waterfalls. You'll also have views over the Mather Gorge downstream of the falls, as well as a view of hikers attempting the perilous Billy Goat Trail cliffs and Potomac River cliff rappelling, including Romeo's Ladder and Juliet's Balcony.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (13)

JessicaB694

Jul 2023

Gorgeous and a fun hike. Handicap accessible viewing and small kid friendly hike option. Such a beautiful and peaceful spot. Pack a meal and have a picnic.

jameshD9428UM

Jun 2023

I couldn't get the Self-guided Waterfall Hiking Tour to work because there is no cell service at the park. A waste of good money.

Response from Host

Jul 2023

Sorry to hear that poor cell service prevented you from experiencing this tour. Cell phone service can be less than ideal at Great Falls Park, depending on the service provider. (This tour has been throughly tested with both AT&T and Verizon - please let us know who your carrier is) When the App + Tour are downloaded and GPS activated (default App setting), then the tour will function properly to within 3 feet. We'll make sure to update all communication to ensure that future travelers down the tour and activate GPS before entering the Great Falls National Park area. Note to future travelers: if this happens, you can exit the park, download the app and activate your GPS at the first stoplight outside the park, and re-enter with the same park entry ticket. Cell phone service is strong for all carriers about 2 minutes outside the park entry gate. James - Please send us a message so that we can make right and you can enjoy this self-guided tour when you next visit Great Falls Park. We'd be happy to help!

Mello_247

Apr 2023

I bought these $10 tickets for no reason! 1. It was national park day or something and everything was free. That should’ve been stated when I chose the date I’d be arriving. 2. Nothing was explained. It was everyone for themselves so that’s what we did. No point of downloading the app that the confirmation email instructed me to do. A total lack of information from this app side and I won’t be using it again.

Response from Host

May 2023

Sorry to hear the instructions were confusing, but are very happy you had a great experience nevertheless. We'll revisit instructions to ensure they are clear for future travelers. Great Falls Park is a wonderful destination, and this self-guided audio tour is intended to be additive to the otherwise "free-roam" park. To clarify, this tour includes a 90 minute GPS-guided walking tour through a specific and particularly interesting route, and includes over an hour of historical context and commentary on the geological and historical sites found along this walking tour. After initial access to the tour is given via the VoiceMap app, you will have access to the audio tour forever, so you can visit again and take the guided tour at any time in the future. Please note, Park entry fees are NOT included with the purchase of this audio tour. With the exception of National Park Week (Apr 22, 2023 – Apr 30, 2023, and starting again on Apr 20, 2024), there is a National Park entry fee that is NOT included in this tour. Again, happy to hear that you had a great experience, and hope you can return to Great Falls Park again in the future to take the full self-guided audio tour. We're very proud of the positive reviews that the tour has received thus far, and would love to share the full experience with you. Please send us (the tour operator) a message here on Viator if we can help in any way, or if you will be unable to return to Great Falls and to take the full audio tour.

Self-guided Waterfall Hiking Tour through Great Falls National Park

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