Winter at Great Falls National Park

One of the wonderful things about Great Falls National Park is that every season brings dramatic changes to the scenery. Winter brings out the harsh side of the park, with the exposed rocks, swelling river, and bare trees.

I took this photo of the Patuxent River charging through the Great Falls from a viewing platform on the Virginia side of the river. Here the water churns and bubbles, cutting a deep bowl in the rocks to the right of the picture. Remains of the C&O Canal hug the far bank of the river, once easing the journey of boats as they made their way from the interior to the Chesapeake Bay.