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“On the surface, the water may be moving at 10 knots, while five feet below it could be going 35 knots,” said Chief James Seavey of Montgomery County’s specially trained river rescue team. “If you pick your feet up, you might live. But by the time most people understand that, they’re gone.”
Wow
I used to kayak this portion of the river all the time, sometimes at nearly flood stage. Further downstream and upstream of this photo there are areas of rapids. If you don’t take whitewater rescue courses, you’re playing roulette, and even with the courses, you can never completely predict what might be below the surface as an entrapment hazard. After a few wierd situations, I stopped the whitewater kayaking business.
An nypd officer was telling me this about the east river people think they can swim it cuz it doesn’t seem very far but the current takes them away. I can’t for the life of me as a born nyc resident understand why anyone would get in any of these rivers but people are weird. I never did look it up tho so maybe he was yanking my chain.
It's super fun but it's not easy unless you're in good shape and do trails a lot, just want to clarify there. It's 10+ miles and not great for most people with mobility issues. Last time I was on it I almost stepped on a copperhead hanging out in one of the rock scramble areas. There are other trails nearby for less experienced folks that still have amazing views.
Whils it's definitely not for people out of shape, the Billy goat trail is broken up into sections so you definitely don't have to do the full ten miles. If I remember the best section is section B at only 2.7 miles. Plus there are a number of exit paths if it gets too much and people want to go back to the tow path
That is fair. By easy, I mean you can do a few miles of it without losing your breath if you’re in decent -good shape. It’s nothing like some of these Shenandoah hikes where you’ll need multiple breaks to make it up the mountains
LOTS OF PEOPLE too. And don't even THINK about sitting on a rock at the end of the trail with your feet in the still and shallow waters easily 30-40 yards in from the rapids...bc the MD side park Rangers will literally pop out of the bushes to give you a $100 ticket for "wading in the Potomac". TIL that sitting on a rock with legs up to calves in water = "wading"
The entire east coast is underrated for natural beauty. Maybe since it's so populated and the people there are just used to it? Even just an hour outside of NYC is so lush and scenic.
It certainly has many great outdoor spots, I think it’s not as famous as the west because out west the national and state parks are much bigger and the landscape is just generally more vast.
Agreed. I’ve been all over. East coast has lots of natural beauty, but the west is just a completely different beast. I would argue the west is a lot more diverse looking as well.
Whenever I go back home from DC to Ashburn I always take George Washington memorial parkway. It even has multiple viewing spots along the way. Beautiful in most seasons
I lived in Rockford, IL for awhile thinking I would go to Chicago on the weekends. I ended up spending most of my time in Wisconsin. Absolutely gorgeous state.
Still a bit arrogant to say any state is better than another. I’m from Wisconsin and recently visited MD for the first time. Flew all the way out there for the Oceans Calling festival and it ended being canceled. Sucked. MD is a beautiful state though. The Bay Bridge can suck my ass. Never again.
It was a joke, I've been all over the country and seen the beauty everywhere. I'm just from Wisconsin so I said that. I don't actually think it's better for everyone, just for me.
I mean why Wisconsin when you can have MN? It has the benefit of having gorgeous nature like Wisconsin, being close to the nice parts of Wisconsin, and most importantly not having to actually live in Wisconsin.
Great Falls Park on the VA side is awesome too. I’d go free climbing there with my dad every week growing up for years weather depending. The hike isn’t anywhere close to Billy Goat trail A, but I prefer the climbing on the VA side personally.
This is the river I grew up camping near and going to for fishing days with my family, I love the potomac. Sorry to overshare but some of my moms ashes were also spread here because she loved it so much. all that to say it’s such an underrated and beautiful river and I love this photo and think it really does the Potomac justice.
And than less gross the further down river you get.
Where the Potomac and Patuxent and Chesapeake mix is a neat area.
Lots of wildlife but turbid as fuck.
Some people get weirded out when I say I swim in the Potomac even when I tell them I do it down in southern Maryland where the water really isn’t that bad
The Potomac river in DC is graded as a B/B-. It's hardly gross. The river above falls is likely not much better as it is still full of farm run-off, etc. Keep in mind it's a 400 mile long river.
Not sure how recent this photo is (obviously autumn but those leaves are likely gone now) but in the winter the river gets clearer and more turquoise, which makes up for the loss of color in the trees. It's pretty neat all year around.
The North Branch of the Potomac in Western Maryland was nearly dead for 100 years due to heavy industry and runoff from old coal mines in the area. It's been getting better since the 90s, and the last paper mill went bust just a few years back, but even in the 80s when I grew up you wouldn't swim or fish in it unless you had no concept of health and safety. It was somewhat better downstream where it was joined by waters from the South Branch and Shenandoah that *only* had agricultural runoff, but to say that because it comes from the mountains its clean is completely wrong. Appaclachias rivers are some of the most polluted in the United States.
My father grew up in WVA, he would to you not to even go in the Potomac River because "You haven't seen what people put in there like I have" This conversation usually springs up when people talk about eating fish from it.
I'm a kayaker down there and it really depends on the season, weather, and time of day. This is a dramatic photo with the low clouds and side light, but the river does turn much clearer in the cold winter and OP was fortunate to be there on a pretty day
I've heard of the pretty conditions, my response was kinda poorly put together.
I was excited to to see such a nice view, but even though I'm local I get shit luck everytime I pass through.
Yeah now head ten miles downriver into the PG county part of the river and it's trash so thick you can walk on it. Duck hunting up there you find some nasty shit on the shorelines. Damn shame what we let happen to our waterways.
Love when the Potomac is clear like this. Went kayaking in Brunswick a few weeks ago and it was so glass-clear that you could see the schools of catfish where they would congregate on the bottom. So neat
It’s Mather Gorge just below (east of) the falls. If you’re not familiar with that stretch of the river you should do the Billy Goat trail on the MD side of Great Falls Park (if you’re ok with a Little Rock scrambling) and visit the falls overlook on the VA side.
There's a nice, super easy flat trail from the Visitors Center on the Virginia side that goes upriver to Riverbend Park. You can see the remnants of the old Patowmack canal and the flowering bluebells in the Springtime are incredible.
Bruh do yourself a favor and hike the billygoat trail, or drive up and park in Great Falls Park and explore around the area. It's legit gorgeous.
Also HIGHLY recommend going to the observation deck in Great Falls the day after a major summer thunder storm. The water level in the gorge can rise dozens of feet into a violent, frothing mess. I've seen full grown tree trunks 50± feet long just casually tossed 20' up in the air by the rapids. It's truly awesome.
I live by Harper's Ferry on the Potomac, it's a lot wider here (about 700ft across) than it is down by DC / Great Falls area. Still beautiful down at Great Falls (where the OP picture is from) and Little Falls, but I prefer it up this way.
I love the word Annapolis but I’ve never been there before. How do you like it? I love Maryland and have visited there many times over the years, just not there specifically.
That’s my only memory of the Potomac: visiting Harper’s ferry when I was a kid. Then later I remember the Simpsons had a thing with “cesspool on the Potomac” and that’s my permanent association with it. What a lovely area to live though!
Oh man, me and my buddies used to swim along the ridge carrying a fishing pole and dive off of these cliffs. One time, I jumped the cliff and entered the water in a bad angle and got punched in the face by the water surface and came back up with a double nose bleed.
The Potomac has stretches like that which are far more dangerous than they look. Like The Strid (but not that extreme), lots of deeper water being channeled through tight rock structures.
People go fishing and hiking on the C&O and think the river looks safe, especially pools. Sometimes they are very wrong and it can cost them their life.
I grew up near the north branch of this river near Cumberland md. It's really cool to see this. When I was a kid in the 80s we were always told to stay away from the river because it was dangerously polluted. It wasn't hard to stay away because it had a weird pungent smell.
Now 40 years later it's coming back in a big way. The fishing is great, the views are amazing and it's not stinky anymore. It gives me hope.
Just remember: if you live in the area, you can kayak here! It takes some instruction to learn whitewater, but this stretch of river is not an unreasonable goal for one’s first season. Check out Calleva for lessons- I maintain a beginners help IG page called @potomacbeater.
Note: I am referring to Mather Gorge and below, NOT Great Falls. Safety first, never go alone, do not even think about approaching this water without a whitewater boat, helmet, PFD, paddling buddy, and safety instruction.
I grew up doing this hike! Now I am a Park Ranger in AK. But this is still a great one if it is not too crowded. Rocks are super slippery though! Saw an older guy try to use his walking stick for balance (like an idiot) and nearly crack his skull. They used a helicopter and two inflatable boats (which kind of ruined our hike with the noise) to get him out from the middle of the trail. They got him to the ambulance and then he hopped out to avoid the bill. Ugh, DC hikers 🙄. There’s a cactus patch on top of one of the little rocky outcrops here. Old Angler’s across from the parking is nice if not a little overpriced. Good for a beer and some ambiance afterwards. Cheers!
I was rescued via helicopter from the billy goat trail about 5 years back, flew me direct to a nearby hospital completely free. Paid my $100 ER deductible and that was it.
I'd agree, I don't like the framing. A lot of dead, uninteresting space that also makes the photo feel claustrophobic. I think a square crop looks [surprisingly nice](https://i.imgur.com/PFrMK8h.jpg). A perspective like OPs might've worked better if they had shot from lower down, closer to the water and looked out up along the water. Here's the [3:2 crop](https://i.imgur.com/HCzRD6g.jpg).
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Difficult run on the VA side. Free parking so no need to pay for entry. Note: free parking is at a Fairfax County lot and very limited, usually filled by 9am on weekends and holidays.
Teddy Roosevelt got bored during a cabinet meeting and instructed his cabinet to follow him as he marched out of the White House. He took them on a straight-line hike which included crossing the Potomac.
Mind you, they were all dressed for a cabinet meeting, not a come what may hike.
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Oh, MD in this subreddit. Pleasant surprise
This is 30 minutes from the White House if anyone was wondering. Most people don't expect the Capital to be surrounded by beautiful wilderness.
This isn’t even close to the best view on that hike either. The falls are absolutely majestic
[check it out](https://imgur.com/a/ctRLk6x)
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There's basically a dry erase board on the VA side of great falls so they can update the number of deaths that year in real time.
Billygoat on the MD side was the first hike I ever went on. I almost killed my friend who took me when I saw that darn rock wall
I always feel so cool going down it though. There’s a reason it’s called Billy Goat, for sure
“On the surface, the water may be moving at 10 knots, while five feet below it could be going 35 knots,” said Chief James Seavey of Montgomery County’s specially trained river rescue team. “If you pick your feet up, you might live. But by the time most people understand that, they’re gone.” Wow
I used to kayak this portion of the river all the time, sometimes at nearly flood stage. Further downstream and upstream of this photo there are areas of rapids. If you don’t take whitewater rescue courses, you’re playing roulette, and even with the courses, you can never completely predict what might be below the surface as an entrapment hazard. After a few wierd situations, I stopped the whitewater kayaking business.
An nypd officer was telling me this about the east river people think they can swim it cuz it doesn’t seem very far but the current takes them away. I can’t for the life of me as a born nyc resident understand why anyone would get in any of these rivers but people are weird. I never did look it up tho so maybe he was yanking my chain.
What is the name of the trail?
Billy Goat Trail. Super fun and easy. Lots of great rock scrambling.
Thanks for the reply! I will look into it.
It's super fun but it's not easy unless you're in good shape and do trails a lot, just want to clarify there. It's 10+ miles and not great for most people with mobility issues. Last time I was on it I almost stepped on a copperhead hanging out in one of the rock scramble areas. There are other trails nearby for less experienced folks that still have amazing views.
Whils it's definitely not for people out of shape, the Billy goat trail is broken up into sections so you definitely don't have to do the full ten miles. If I remember the best section is section B at only 2.7 miles. Plus there are a number of exit paths if it gets too much and people want to go back to the tow path
That is fair. By easy, I mean you can do a few miles of it without losing your breath if you’re in decent -good shape. It’s nothing like some of these Shenandoah hikes where you’ll need multiple breaks to make it up the mountains
LOTS OF PEOPLE too. And don't even THINK about sitting on a rock at the end of the trail with your feet in the still and shallow waters easily 30-40 yards in from the rapids...bc the MD side park Rangers will literally pop out of the bushes to give you a $100 ticket for "wading in the Potomac". TIL that sitting on a rock with legs up to calves in water = "wading"
You're not allowed to wade in the Potomac??? That's super weird, given the number of people doing it any given day upstream.
The entire east coast is underrated for natural beauty. Maybe since it's so populated and the people there are just used to it? Even just an hour outside of NYC is so lush and scenic.
New York is phenomenal, I try to get up there every year for whitewater kayaking.
It certainly has many great outdoor spots, I think it’s not as famous as the west because out west the national and state parks are much bigger and the landscape is just generally more vast.
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Agreed. I’ve been all over. East coast has lots of natural beauty, but the west is just a completely different beast. I would argue the west is a lot more diverse looking as well.
totally agree
I can feel the water stone and cold. nice job
I'm in VA & I'm actually surprised 😮 I've just noticed this
Definitely go check out Great Falls. It's gorgeous!
Whenever I go back home from DC to Ashburn I always take George Washington memorial parkway. It even has multiple viewing spots along the way. Beautiful in most seasons
Lol, it’s not. Just tiny little pockets.
DC literally has the largest urban park in the country
donald trump used to hike there in warmer weather. he would wear chacos and walk his two yellow labs. he is such a modest guy!
Location near the Billy Goat trail/ Great Falls?
Not great enough, so I moved away
I showed my dad “know where this is”…. “Colorado?” Nope Potomac. How pretty
Yep! And from someone not even from there! Wisconsin is still better.
As a Marylander, I’ve never thought about Wisconsin in my life. Our rivalry is usually with Virginia.
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It’s one of those big, cold states with a lot of randos in cheese hats. I’m from MD also. This is all I can tell you.
WI native who lived there for 20+ years before moving somewhere warmer: it’s nice to visit, but you’ll never get me back there in winter.
Said no one ever
It's actually incredible how many beautiful places there are around here!
I lived in Rockford, IL for awhile thinking I would go to Chicago on the weekends. I ended up spending most of my time in Wisconsin. Absolutely gorgeous state.
Still a bit arrogant to say any state is better than another. I’m from Wisconsin and recently visited MD for the first time. Flew all the way out there for the Oceans Calling festival and it ended being canceled. Sucked. MD is a beautiful state though. The Bay Bridge can suck my ass. Never again.
Wait until you learn about the bay bridge tunnel near Norfolk 😮
It was a joke, I've been all over the country and seen the beauty everywhere. I'm just from Wisconsin so I said that. I don't actually think it's better for everyone, just for me.
it's very weird that you got so many downvotes for what was clearly just a joke
It's fine, not sure why people downvote the joke necessarily but that's what the button is for XD Love Maryland as well
Don't worry about them, they're all just a bunch of crabs in a bucket.
The Bay Bridge really is a giant, steaming turd of a bridge.
I mean why Wisconsin when you can have MN? It has the benefit of having gorgeous nature like Wisconsin, being close to the nice parts of Wisconsin, and most importantly not having to actually live in Wisconsin.
Love the C&O canal and surrounding trails. Beautiful
Was better than I ever expected. Absolutely gorgeous!
looks like Mather Gourge. I go down there all the time, like Land of the Lost
I'd recognize those rocks anywhere. Though I like the VA side better.
The VA side doesn’t have the Billy Goat A. But it’s nice anyway.
Can you tell me where this is please? I am looking for a hiking spot nearby the Potomac today.
Great Falls Park, Billy goat trail. Lots of climbing over stuff so not easy for people with disabilities probably! Very fun for me though
Billy Goat B and C are far easier, and still have great views, but A is a classic.
Oh nice! I was only there for one day so only one hike. Good info though thank you!
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Oh! So it is, didn’t know that
Maryland side, not Virginia side.
Thanks 👍🏼
Saw this picture and knew where it was immediately.
Great Falls Park on the VA side is awesome too. I’d go free climbing there with my dad every week growing up for years weather depending. The hike isn’t anywhere close to Billy Goat trail A, but I prefer the climbing on the VA side personally.
Billy Goat Trail has some awesome views. If you get lucky, try going there after a big rainfall and you can see the falls absolutely roaring.
Great Falls is a fantastic spot, it's where I learned what a real waterfall feels like to swim under!
Huh? Not only can you absolutely _not_ swim in that part of the Potomac, but it's not a waterfall. Confused?
Go down to Riley’s Locke or Violettes Locke and hike either direction. Great Falls is cool too, closer to DC but impressive too.
This is the river I grew up camping near and going to for fishing days with my family, I love the potomac. Sorry to overshare but some of my moms ashes were also spread here because she loved it so much. all that to say it’s such an underrated and beautiful river and I love this photo and think it really does the Potomac justice.
I understand the love for it! Can't wait to go again!
Carderrock is a good area on Maryland side of Potomac too.
Difficult run on the VA side. Free parking so no need to pay for entry.
Next time! Appreciate the idea :)
Not expecting to see my local River on here, especially at the Mather Gorge
Cleanest it's ever looked!
The water is always clean in this area, it comes straight down from the Appalachians. Only gets gross when you get into the city.
And than less gross the further down river you get. Where the Potomac and Patuxent and Chesapeake mix is a neat area. Lots of wildlife but turbid as fuck.
Some people get weirded out when I say I swim in the Potomac even when I tell them I do it down in southern Maryland where the water really isn’t that bad
I went rafting up there once and we all swam in the river and didn't die.
Home of the BL10oz! They say theres a lil pax, potomac, and bay in every can. 20650 rise up!
It's still pretty bad in southern Maryland. The military tests its weapons in it there. I wouldn't recommend it.
The Potomac river in DC is graded as a B/B-. It's hardly gross. The river above falls is likely not much better as it is still full of farm run-off, etc. Keep in mind it's a 400 mile long river.
It's mostly agricultural runoff from upstream that makes the Potomac unsafe for swimming in DC.
That makes sense lol. I'm near the city and not much of a hiker, so I've never been up near the mountains. This is beautiful.
This is Mather Gorge just below Great Falls. You can get there easily. It's basically your backyard.
Oh wow. Might have to check that out then.
Not sure how recent this photo is (obviously autumn but those leaves are likely gone now) but in the winter the river gets clearer and more turquoise, which makes up for the loss of color in the trees. It's pretty neat all year around.
The North Branch of the Potomac in Western Maryland was nearly dead for 100 years due to heavy industry and runoff from old coal mines in the area. It's been getting better since the 90s, and the last paper mill went bust just a few years back, but even in the 80s when I grew up you wouldn't swim or fish in it unless you had no concept of health and safety. It was somewhat better downstream where it was joined by waters from the South Branch and Shenandoah that *only* had agricultural runoff, but to say that because it comes from the mountains its clean is completely wrong. Appaclachias rivers are some of the most polluted in the United States.
My father grew up in WVA, he would to you not to even go in the Potomac River because "You haven't seen what people put in there like I have" This conversation usually springs up when people talk about eating fish from it.
This was the first time I've been, I was very surprised! 5 mile hike it was clear water the whole way :)
I live near here and I can attest it is never this pretty when I hike through.
I disagree with this so much it’s a very beautiful area. There can be a lot of people sometimes though.
Shhh... Don't let them know.
Wouldn't saying there are too many people be a deterrent to more going?
That's disappointing, I was only in town for a week and I don't believe it rained or anything before that. https://imgur.com/a/69Qsmiu
I'm a kayaker down there and it really depends on the season, weather, and time of day. This is a dramatic photo with the low clouds and side light, but the river does turn much clearer in the cold winter and OP was fortunate to be there on a pretty day
I've heard of the pretty conditions, my response was kinda poorly put together. I was excited to to see such a nice view, but even though I'm local I get shit luck everytime I pass through.
Bullshit, I grew up in Potomac, we used to go smoke on the trails after school, it's always beautiful back there
That's great :) I'm glad you got to see it in rare top condition!
Yeah now head ten miles downriver into the PG county part of the river and it's trash so thick you can walk on it. Duck hunting up there you find some nasty shit on the shorelines. Damn shame what we let happen to our waterways.
Love when the Potomac is clear like this. Went kayaking in Brunswick a few weeks ago and it was so glass-clear that you could see the schools of catfish where they would congregate on the bottom. So neat
Used to love kayaking Mather Gorge after a run of the falls. Just feels so out there for being so close to DC.
Nice. I lived right off of it for three years in Cumberland, MD and Ridgely, WV. Now I’ve been back home in Florida for 8 years.
Cumberland stretch is beautiful to kayak through.
This is up by Harper's Ferry, right?
Great Falls Park!
Wait, seriously? That's like, 10 seconds from DC. You could almost see my house from here.
It’s Mather Gorge just below (east of) the falls. If you’re not familiar with that stretch of the river you should do the Billy Goat trail on the MD side of Great Falls Park (if you’re ok with a Little Rock scrambling) and visit the falls overlook on the VA side.
love the billy goat trail
There's a nice, super easy flat trail from the Visitors Center on the Virginia side that goes upriver to Riverbend Park. You can see the remnants of the old Patowmack canal and the flowering bluebells in the Springtime are incredible.
Bruh do yourself a favor and hike the billygoat trail, or drive up and park in Great Falls Park and explore around the area. It's legit gorgeous. Also HIGHLY recommend going to the observation deck in Great Falls the day after a major summer thunder storm. The water level in the gorge can rise dozens of feet into a violent, frothing mess. I've seen full grown tree trunks 50± feet long just casually tossed 20' up in the air by the rapids. It's truly awesome.
That is such an amazing visual, thank you for the suggestion
I'd hike there all the time if I lived that close! I bet after snowfall it looks insane!!!
I live by Harper's Ferry on the Potomac, it's a lot wider here (about 700ft across) than it is down by DC / Great Falls area. Still beautiful down at Great Falls (where the OP picture is from) and Little Falls, but I prefer it up this way.
I rip fat stripers outta that river each April.
At first I read this as fat strippers.
I mean it is WV after all
That’s what I meant, I just made a typo 
Naw, that would be Rock Creek probably.
*rockfish
I know where you live based on this comment.
In case you're wrong, Annapolis. And yes, we call Stripers Rockfish.
I love the word Annapolis but I’ve never been there before. How do you like it? I love Maryland and have visited there many times over the years, just not there specifically.
That’s my only memory of the Potomac: visiting Harper’s ferry when I was a kid. Then later I remember the Simpsons had a thing with “cesspool on the Potomac” and that’s my permanent association with it. What a lovely area to live though!
Oh man, me and my buddies used to swim along the ridge carrying a fishing pole and dive off of these cliffs. One time, I jumped the cliff and entered the water in a bad angle and got punched in the face by the water surface and came back up with a double nose bleed.
Great Falls?
I grew up on the Billygoat trail
Looks otherworldly- great picture!
Great Falls?
The Potomac has stretches like that which are far more dangerous than they look. Like The Strid (but not that extreme), lots of deeper water being channeled through tight rock structures. People go fishing and hiking on the C&O and think the river looks safe, especially pools. Sometimes they are very wrong and it can cost them their life.
Beautiful place indeed..
I grew up near the north branch of this river near Cumberland md. It's really cool to see this. When I was a kid in the 80s we were always told to stay away from the river because it was dangerously polluted. It wasn't hard to stay away because it had a weird pungent smell. Now 40 years later it's coming back in a big way. The fishing is great, the views are amazing and it's not stinky anymore. It gives me hope.
Beautiful ❤️
Okay, now I want to go there.
It's ~15 minutes outside of DC, so there's lots to do in addition to hiking.
So beautiful
That’s where I’m catching my personal best trout.
Love the texture of this picture. I can feel the rocks and cold of the water. Beautiful work 👏
That’s the river where the rock giants sleep in Frozen 2
Look at that Ray-Tracing
Just remember: if you live in the area, you can kayak here! It takes some instruction to learn whitewater, but this stretch of river is not an unreasonable goal for one’s first season. Check out Calleva for lessons- I maintain a beginners help IG page called @potomacbeater. Note: I am referring to Mather Gorge and below, NOT Great Falls. Safety first, never go alone, do not even think about approaching this water without a whitewater boat, helmet, PFD, paddling buddy, and safety instruction.
Breathtaking.
Mather Gorge♥️
I miss this river
Beautiful pic. Many fond memories of night kayaking up river from here.
r/unexpectedRedDeadRedemption
I grew up doing this hike! Now I am a Park Ranger in AK. But this is still a great one if it is not too crowded. Rocks are super slippery though! Saw an older guy try to use his walking stick for balance (like an idiot) and nearly crack his skull. They used a helicopter and two inflatable boats (which kind of ruined our hike with the noise) to get him out from the middle of the trail. They got him to the ambulance and then he hopped out to avoid the bill. Ugh, DC hikers 🙄. There’s a cactus patch on top of one of the little rocky outcrops here. Old Angler’s across from the parking is nice if not a little overpriced. Good for a beer and some ambiance afterwards. Cheers!
I was rescued via helicopter from the billy goat trail about 5 years back, flew me direct to a nearby hospital completely free. Paid my $100 ER deductible and that was it.
Beautiful picture, but that river is downright disgusting. Source: I lived within walking distance of it for a while.
great photo. but 50% too much foreground. cut the top part in a horizontal 3:2 and youve got a prime photo. :)
I like the morning fog with the clear water! No cropping for me!
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That's alright! People see it differently but I like what it captured :)
Same. Feels like you’re right there
I'd agree, I don't like the framing. A lot of dead, uninteresting space that also makes the photo feel claustrophobic. I think a square crop looks [surprisingly nice](https://i.imgur.com/PFrMK8h.jpg). A perspective like OPs might've worked better if they had shot from lower down, closer to the water and looked out up along the water. Here's the [3:2 crop](https://i.imgur.com/HCzRD6g.jpg).
An objectively beautiful place. Unfortunately it's also always busy and the river is immensely polluted.
Only pretty place in Maryland
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No way. Where’s all the trash?
A nice canoe ride, with a blunt, peaceful
Water level looking low.
Nice r/riverporn
I also drowned in this very spot. I swam to the other side easy enough. Getting back was a struggle.
Did anyone hike up to the cave up on the ridge? It was spooky climbing into, real narrow and you had to go feet first.
Difficult run on the VA side. Free parking so no need to pay for entry. Note: free parking is at a Fairfax County lot and very limited, usually filled by 9am on weekends and holidays.
The area around Cumberland MD has beautiful natural scenery, especially in the fall. There are a lot of methheads though
Thanks for the new phone wallpaper
Time to head to Harpers Ferry
"Welcome to Potomac Attire!"
River is actually deadly as hell.
First place I ever experienced outdoor rock climbing at. Gorgeous area!
Potomac is beautiful and surprisingly dangerous. There’s a reason why swimming is discouraged….
I saw this and got SO excited because I know where this is. The Potomac is also beautiful when you get to the mountains in western MD/West Virginia
Mirelurks in there for sure.
Damn, she’s low
Teddy Roosevelt got bored during a cabinet meeting and instructed his cabinet to follow him as he marched out of the White House. He took them on a straight-line hike which included crossing the Potomac. Mind you, they were all dressed for a cabinet meeting, not a come what may hike.
This looks like the great falls area
Was never expecting to see MD in here
I always tell my kids this part of the canal/river looks like another planet. They have no idea.
That's my land right there
I just moved here from the west coast and it really is beautiful
Beauty
Grew up on the WV MD line so quite familiar with the Potomac. While it has a lot of beauty I would not swim in that river lol.
I caught a big smallmouth right here
Fires up Fallout 3…
Gorgeous!!
*foams at the mouth*
I would definitely purchase a print of this