C & O Canal: Great Falls

 We went off the visit Great Falls to enjoy the turning of the leaves, and this time we tried the Maryland side. 

I had heard that the view was better from Virginia. 

Not true!  This is the area just above the falls.

For one thing, the Maryland side has the C & O Canal.  This canal, the brainchild of George Washington, was intended as a boat route from the Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio river (which flows into the Mississippi and down to New Orleans). 


Now, the Great Falls part is staffed by historical reenactors! 

They let you pet their mules.

And look around on their boats.

Plus they show you how they work the locks!

We would have gotten a ride on the boat through the locks, but the water level of the river (and therefore the canal) was too low.

You also can hike (or bike) the tow path where the mules who pulled the barges walked.

Things we were learned: The canal, 184 miles long, 60 feet wide and 6 feet deep, was entirely dug by hand!! It took 22 years.

Kids and families lived and worked on the boats because each trip took 7 days each way.  They took off when the canal was frozen (3 months) and went to school.

A short walk down the towpath leads to a bridge to an Olmstead Island, a rocky patch in the middle of the river, overlooking the falls.

Actually, it's sort of in the middle of the falls.

 And the island itself is riven with fantastic rocky gorges which must be waterfalls when the water level is higher.

Through a geologic anomaly, the Great Falls part of the river has a water level that fluctuates by 100 feet or more.

The island is covered by a rocky forest, carefully protected by a fenced path.  Many signs warned us that it was a fragile and rare ecosystem and that we must  stay on the path.

Well, I didn't want to be the one to step on the butterfly, so we stayed on the path!

The view of Great Falls is fantastic!

And the viewing platform has a giant boulder coming up through the middle, perfect for climbing.



Interestingly, the boulder has many circular hollows, obviously carved by water - interesting because we are some 70 feet above the current water level!

Some of the hollows were large enough to fit a couple of kids, making it ideal for hide and seek.

It was a great outing, and we'll try again when the water levels are higher.  I really want to try the boat ride!