C&O Canal at Great Falls
Great Falls Tavern anchors canal history, a level towpath, the Olmsted Island overlook, and access to the strenuous Billy Goat Trail.
Artwork inspired by Francis Guy
The C&O Canal at Great Falls sets a quiet engineered waterway beside the force of the Potomac. Lock 20 and the old tavern explain how boats, cargo, and travelers negotiated the canal, while the towpath preserves a continuous route through that working landscape. A short walk can connect transport history with the sound of the river’s rapids.
Several very different outings begin here. The towpath and Olmsted Island boardwalk lead toward a dramatic overlook without the scrambling demanded by Billy Goat Trail Section A. Choose deliberately rather than following the most familiar trail name. High water, heat, and resource protection can close routes, and swimming or wading in the Potomac is not a safe substitute for a closed trail.
- Historic lock
- Lock 20
- Easy viewpoint
- Olmsted Island overlook
- Hard option
- Billy Goat Trail Section A
Quick guide
- Pick the route
- Choose towpath and overlook or a properly equipped scramble.
- Check before hiking
- Confirm Billy Goat and Olmsted Island access that morning.
Know before you go
- Read the lock
- Notice how gates and water levels moved boats past an elevation change.
- Bring the trail map
- The towpath return is part of a Billy Goat outing.
- Respect the river
- Stay out of the Potomac’s fast water and hidden currents.
- Choose for the heat
- Exposed rock scrambling is harder in hot, humid weather.
Good to know
Billy Goat Section A is a technical rock scramble, not simply a towpath detour. The accessible falls overlook offers a very different experience from that trail.
Notice these
- Canal lock gates
- Great Falls Tavern
- Potomac rapids from the boardwalk