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5 Best Waterfalls Close to Washington, DC

Although we all think first about monuments and museums when thinking if Washington, D.C., there are several great waterfalls to see for the nature lovers and photographers. Keep reading and I'll share with you the 5 best waterfalls to visit in and around D.C..

Great Falls, VA

Great Falls is located in the D.C. area, and is only a short drive from the metro area. There are viewing areas in both Virginia and Maryland, but the more popular one is on the Virginia side.  

The viewing areas are located within the park, and are very easy to get to from the parking lot once inside the park. Although I've heard other people call it an easy hike, it is really nothing more than a short walk. 

Whether your visiting the falls as a nature lover or a photographer, you'll want to set out to the park as early as you can. Great Falls is so popular, it's not unusual to have a mile long line to get past the ranger's gate. You'll also have to contend with hordes of selfie snapping Instagrammers, so prepare accordingly. 

If your planning on taking photographs, make sure you remember your tripod and set it up early enough to get the best composition. You'll need steady shots to capture the motion blur of the water for that extra dreamy look.  

Scott's Run Falls, Virginia

This waterfall is also in D.C. in Scott's Run Nature Preserve, and is very close to Great Falls. Although not nearly as popular, the parking area for this park and waterfall is very small. So, you might want to try to get here early as well. 

Unlike the stroll to Great Falls from the parking lot, this one is actually a moderately strenuous hike. It starts off nice and flat, but then the trail goes up a hill, and down the even steeper other side. At the bottom you'll find the waterfall which flows right into the Potomac River. 

 Although it's vastly smaller in scale than Great Falls, it is still worth the short drive and hike to get there. As you can see from the photos, it is a pretty straight forward waterfall, and easy to photograph. 

Cascade Falls at Patapsco State Park, MD

Cascade Falls is about an hour drive from D.C., but is very much worth the short drive!

Although a little longer off a drive from D.C., this waterfall is one you shouldn't miss. There are several falls here to enjoy as well as many beautiful cascades. 

The are several parking lots to choose from here that provide access to trails from opposite sides of the park. My recommendation is to take the Interstate 95 to exit 47A, then find your way up River Road to the Cascade Falls Parking Lot gate and hike your way to the falls. This is the shorter hike, and is much quicker to get to the falls this way.

Aside from the main waterfalls here, there are lots of other springs and cascading creeks to photograph, as well as the large Patapsco River and surrounding park.  You'll be tempted to stop along the road long before you even get to the parking area, and if you have the time, go for it. The main waterfalls will still be there for you when you get there. 

Cunningham Falls State Park, MD

Cunningham Falls is Maryland’s highest cascading waterfall with some beautiful areas of flowing creek. There are two trails to get to the falls, an upper and lower area, and each are easily traversed in dry weather. During my most recent trip here, the area was covered in snow and ice, and was a rather treacherous hike. The upper trails seems to have more trail that is above ground wood paths and easier to get to.

The main waterfall is somewhat difficult to photograph, as there are many branches and trees that do a wonderful job of getting in your way. Although beautiful to gaze upon, I’ve never been much of a fan of photographing larger waterfalls, especially when they cascade down fairly flat rocks. You should still definitely visit these falls and the surrounding creeks, as they are a wonderful display of nature in motion.

As you can tell in the photo of the creek above, it was very cold and had ice formed beautifully to add to the overall scene. I’ve yet to visit these falls in the spring or summer, but have an idea that they would be even more beautiful during these times.

Dark Hollows Falls, Shenandoah National Park, VA

The group of waterfalls within the Shenandoah National Park are just over a two hour drive from D.C.. Dark Hollows Falls has a fantastic series of waterfalls, cascades, creeks and trails to view over a trail that will be challenging for some. If you’re parking at the top of these falls and hiking down, your first leg of the trip will be rather easy. However, the way back up the hill is rather challenging due to the steep paths.

Here is the parking lot for the hike to Dark Hollows Falls, which also shows the trail down to the falls. It’s very easy to get to, but remember that this is a national park and there will be a fee to enter the park.

As you hike down the trail toward the falls, you’ll find some absolutely stunning cascades along the route. The photo above was taken on the trail down, and caught some beautiful colors and reflections. Some of the spots will require that you go through a bit of the wilderness, but still only 20 feet away from the trail.

Further down the trail you’ll come upon this stunning cascading waterfall (first above) right on the trail. Want the best picture of this? Wade out to the middle of the little pool and park your tripod for a delicious photo of the entire cascade. You might even spot someone fly fishing around here! The two photos above are of the same cascading falls, but from to very different aspects and elevations. The first photo here is about half way down at the first pools, and the second photo is at the bottom of this cascade.

If you open both of these photos up, you’ll notice that the second photo shows a fisherman right at the spot I took the first photo. Cool, right?

This is the main waterfall here at the bottom where the bridge is. Although it’s a beautiful waterfall, it’s not quite as photogenic as the others above. Still, what an absolutely amazing place to hike to!

Although I’ve focused on Dark Hollows Falls here, there are several other wonderful waterfalls to visit at this park as well. So , make sure you have a full day to explore even more while you’re here.

Do you have any other waterfalls you think I should visit? Please leave a comment and let me know. Also, if this article was helpful to you, please share it with your friends!

Matthew Reed is the Managing Editor of GenXploreMore and has been photographing the world longer than he can remember. Sign up to be notified of new stories and gear reviews!