The Greatest Places to Visit in Wash DC Are Sometimes Outside of Wash DC: Great Falls Park

If you are a visitor to Washington (and even if you are a local) by far the most beautiful place in Washington DC is 13 miles outside of Washington DC: Great Falls National Park. Great Falls is a magnificent spot along the Potomac where the river carves out tremendous cliffs and waterways. It is a playground for the most advanced Yakers (you can see a kayaker in the photo). The C&O canal and towpath cuts thru making a fantastic path from Georgetown, to Harpers Ferry, and beyond - a great local trip is to bike out to Harpers Ferry. For the Hikers, there is the Billy Goat trail along the cliffs of Great Falls. Scenic and the longest 2.5 miles you may ever hike.

From the National Park Service Page:

The Great Falls of the Potomac have drawn people to the river's shore for centuries. To Native Americans it was a gathering place, to George Washington it was an impediment to navigation, to thousands of visitors every year it is an awe-inspiring site. Tourists have been drawn to the Great Falls of the Potomac long before there was a canal. The Great Falls Tavern carries on a long tradition of hospitality for visitors to the C&O Canal. Soon after the canal's ground breaking in 1828 construction began on the original lockhouse. In response to travelers' requests for shelter and a meal, the locktender here at Great Falls, W.W. Fenlon, asked the Canal Company to build the three-story north wing for a hotel. Proposing himself as innkeeper but adding, "Mrs. Felon is better calculated for Land Ladie," he wrote. The hotel opened for business in 1831. The entrance door invited guests into a large, windowed room with fireplaces and a bar. As the inn's first proprietor Mr. Fenlon presided over lively entertainment like fishing parties, dances and social events in the "ballroom," in addition to good dinners and a place to sleep. A community of over 100 people grew nearby with shops and a post office. The National Park Service offers interpretive programs year round and boat rides in the spring, summer and early fall.

 The Geese are clearly in control of the Great Falls Visitor Center: