River Bend Park
8700 Potomac Hills Street
Great Falls, VA (map it)
(703) 759‑9018

River Bend Park has our stamp of approval. We caught minnows in our nets from the shore, and let them tickle our finger and toes. The minnows were so curious (brave? dumb? plentiful?) that even the 23 month old was able to catch them.

I’ve spent time on and along the Potomac from Harper’s Ferry to Great Falls and I agree that this part of the river is as scenic as the website claims, and as a bonus the water is clear and you can really see the little fish swim through the plants from shore. I imagine the park is even better seen from a boat, so plan to take ours next time we visit and suggest any paddlers out there do the same. (They do rent boats, but not to folks with passengers under 50 pounds.) One of my favorite parts was how clean the waters edge was. There was still some litter waiting to be picked up, but we didn’t notice any broken glass and the amount of litter and recycling was significantly less than what we usually see upriver at Algonkian Park in Sterling. (For the record there was a major waterways clean up not long ago on 9/15, so maybe it is an issue of timing!)

When it was time to get out of the sun we had fun looking at the snakes and turtle in the visitor center, and eating ice cream in the shade. The deck outside the visitor center has great wooden chairs (handmade?) that are pretty a-typical of a regional park. They set it apart and give the place a special feel.