Routes

Planner

Features

Updates

App

Get the App

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Great Falls Overlook – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Watts Branch

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

Great Falls Overlook – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Watts Branch

Easy

2.7

(7)

riders

Great Falls Overlook – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Watts Branch

00:52

9.31km

20m

Cycling

Easy bike ride. Great for any fitness level. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: April 27, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

58 m

Swains Lock

Highlight • Historical Site

These are hard to come by along the C&O canal and usually hidden. Always nice to know where to get water.

Tip by

1.98 km

This towpath is as much about the journey as the destination. Cruise past historic locks, aqueducts, and shady woodlands along a trail with gentle grades and rich history. Pause at scenic river overlooks or old lockhouses for a quick rest.

Tip by

3.85 km

Great Falls Observation Platform

Highlight • Viewpoint

Washington Aqueduct Dam: A water supply dam for Washington, D.C. located just above the Great Falls.

Tip by

3.90 km

Washington Aqueduct Observation Platform

Highlight • Viewpoint

Washington Aqueduct was constructed back in the mid-1800s by the Army Corps of Engineers to provide water to Washington, D.C., and is still used today. The observation platform for the …

Tip by

4.42 km

Great Falls Overlook

Highlight • Viewpoint

This is a spectacular waterfall on the Potomac River. Water gushes over a series of jagged rocks and flows through the Mather Gorge.

Tip by

4.49 km

Start of the Great Falls Foot Trail

Highlight • Trail

The Great Falls of the Potomac is a place with various rapids and small falls in the Potomac. The place marked here may only be entered on foot. Bicycles and dogs 😜 must stay outside.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

4.78 km

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls

Highlight • River

Great Falls has a scenic Horseshoe Bend where the river curves in a horseshoe shape around a rocky outcrop. It's a nice spot to stop for photos on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail.

Tip by

9.31 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

9.23 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

9.25 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Today

Friday 8 May

21°C

5°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 19.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.

Navigate

Send to Phone

Save

Edit route

Download GPX

Move start point

Embed on a website

Report an Issue

Nearby routes

Moderate

4.7

289

Custis, Washington-Old Dominion, and Mount Vernon Trail Loop

02:00h

33.2km

190m

Easy

5.0

Anacostia Riverwalk Trail

00:26h

7.23km

20m

Moderate

4.8

269

Rock Creek and Capital Crescent Trail Loop

02:17h

36.5km

190m

Moderate

4.5

Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail

03:51h

65.7km

350m

Easy

4.8

105

Washington & Old Dominion Trail

01:29h

25.4km

140m

Moderate

1.0

Needwood Loop

02:39h

31.2km

160m

Moderate

2.5

Upper Potomac River Loop around northwest of Washington, D.C.

01:44h

26.7km

340m

Moderate

5.0

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath

04:42h

62.8km

90m

Moderate

3.7

Washington, Alexandria & Arlington loop

02:55h

48.9km

290m

Moderate

4.5

Alexandria Loop

01:37h

26.4km

180m

Moderate

5.0

Fairfax County Parkway Trail

02:22h

40.4km

250m

Moderate

5.0

Barnesville loop

01:47h

29.0km

250m

Great Falls Overlook – Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls loop from Watts Branch

Swains Lock

Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Great Falls Observation Platform

Washington Aqueduct Observation Platform

Great Falls Overlook

Start of the Great Falls Foot Trail

Horseshoe Bend at Great Falls

Nearby routes

Sign up or log in to keep exploring this route

We value your privacy ⛰️

We value your privacy ⛰️