As a transplant to the Washington, DC area I didn’t grow up with all the same field trips and family outings that everyone round here experienced. I’m constantly learning about the parks, shopping centers, etc. that locals take for granted. Despite living in Northern Virginia for a few years now, I only recently discovered beautiful Great Falls National Park when a client requested a session there, and wow do I feel silly for not knowing about it sooner!

Great Falls National Park is located in Great Falls, Virginia tucked away between neighborhoods of estates and the Potomac River. As you might have guessed from its name, Great Falls Park has the primary feature of a waterfall which makes for a beautiful and dramatic photo backdrop. There are two sides of the park – one side in Virginia, and one side in Maryland, each claiming one side of the Potomac. The park includes overlooks that have clear views of the falls, wooded trails, and lots of scrambling paths where you can climb your way up to more private views of the river or down to the actual banks (there’s even a tiny beach on the Virginia side not far from the main entrance).

There is typically an entrance fee to get into the park, which is not uncommon for National Park Service properties – the fee is per car to park or per person to enter by foot, and is valid for an entire week. You can also buy an annual pass (which isn’t much more than the single-week parking pass) which is great if you’re local and want to return throughout the year! The best news is that even though typically NPS parks require often-expensive photo permits, like at the DC monuments, Great Falls Park doesn’t enforce this and the signage at the entrance implies that this is only necessary for more commercial shoots like those using a film crew. For small portrait sessions, you’re in the clear!

One benefit of having your portrait session at Great Falls Park is that the background is beautiful and dramatic but surprisingly neutral. It’s great year-round, as even the bare trees in winter/early spring will only more fully reveal the flowing river down below. You can emphasize the drama with a more formal look like a maxi dress with a thigh-high slit, or you can go along with the woodsy hiking vibe of the park and wear something comfy and adventurous. Just be sure to bring a pair of comfortable walking shoes because all the best spots take a little bit of (mild) scrambling to access. But don’t fret – I’m not athletic in the least and I’m fully capable of getting to great spots without breaking a sweat, so you don’t have to worry about not being well enough in shape as long as you’re capable of going on any fairly mild hike. Plus, there are tons of great spots close to the entrance of the park – you don’t have to walk more than 15 minutes down the main trail to have plenty of material, and there’s plenty of variation in difficulties so if you want to play it extra safe and stick almost entirely to the guided trails and easy walking, that’s still a valid option. I’d also like to note that despite its relative popularity among locals and tourists alike, you can definitely avoid crowds pretty easily; some spots (which I will mention below) can tend to have more bystanders and require more patience, while others afford a lot of freedom from fellow hikers in the way of your photos.

The park is oriented in such a way that it is acceptable for both sunset and sunrise sessions; I do recommend starting a couple of hours before sunset however, as the surrounding trees will begin to block the low sun in the west pretty quickly when you’re anywhere except the manufactured overlooks. I haven’t yet photographed at Great Falls Park at sunrise, but I would imagine it’s the same situation on the other side and would recommend starting 30-60 minutes after sunrise to get enough light through the trees. I’ve also only visited the Virginia side of the park, as the Maryland side is slightly less accessible and the entrance is, of course, on the other side of the Potomac from me, but I have heard from other photographers that it has some great spots that make it worth a visit and I hope to update this page with my experience there as soon as the opportunity arises.

The Overlooks

Just a couple minutes of walking from the Virginia entrance to Great Falls Park are three different overlooks. These overlooks are the most manmade-feeling portions of the park as they feature fences that allow you to view the waterfalls without risk of falling. These overlooks tend to be the most crowded areas of the park, as many people stop here before and after their own hikes and use it as a meeting place, so it can take some patience to get close to the edge for a clear view of the falls. I typically don’t like to spend much time in these spots but they have some great angles and are perfect for those classic Christmas-card headshots in front of the falls as the overlooks definitely offer the best view!

The Dramatic Rock

Honestly, I didn’t know what to title this section. This spot in the park is a short walk from the last overlook, and quite frankly its main feature is truly the dramatic rock – not quite a cliff, but a little collection of boulders that rise above the rubble and jut out toward the river in such a way that you get beautiful and dramatic composition when standing on and climbing around them. The photos speak for themselves! While I believe this to be a staple in any portrait session at Great Falls Park, it’s worth noting that many other visitors like to visit this section as well so you may need a moment to wait for another adventurer to take their time standing in that dramatic spot, or to pass by as they climb deeper down toward the banks of the river (as this is an entrance to the water for kayakers and fishermen). Note also that this spot takes a bit of effort to reach; the terrain is very rocky and sloped, and it takes some patience to find the right footing as you make your way there and back. Comfortable, safe shoes are a must! And you can always put on your pretty heels once you get in place. This is definitely one of my favorite spots for an engagement session at Great Falls Park, and I’m dreaming especially of photographing a proposal here because it would be a beautiful dramatic location for it!

The Natural Bench

Right in between the trail and the aforementioned rocky area is a smaller path backed by a rock wall. This little section may look like just a pass-through to the more exciting spot and back, but it’s actually another of my favorite spots at Great Falls National Park. The rock retaining wall itself is a little rustic feeling and you can see it below in the engagement ring shot. Next to the rock wall is a path that smoothly slopes down and around toward that dramatic riverfront view in a sort of C shape; cutting straight through the C as a branch off that path is a cute rocky stepping area that works perfectly as a natural seating area! I’m usually pretty picky about where I ask clients to sit as its not always super flattering, but this spot is perfect as it offers some rocks of varying heights and allows you to extend your legs to make a more flattering silhouette. Because it’s slightly lower than the already-lowered foot path it branches from, it feels very private in photos despite the fact that there’s a good bit of foot traffic happening up above your heads on the main path (above the rock retaining wall). This spot is easily accessible for everyone as the pathways leading to it are smooth and it’s not far from the park entrance.

The Bridge

About 10-15 minutes down the trail on the Virginia side of the Falls is a huge bridge. The trail requires very mild rock scrambling as you walk over some large rocks and navigate through rocky ground, but it’s very easy for the average person. Once you’ve walked down the trail far enough, you come across this sturdy wooden bridge. The bridge makes for a fun backdrop for photos – walking together along the bridge, doing some twirls and dips in the middle, sitting side by side on the stairs, and leaning over the railing together are just a few ideas. The bride has a view of the river but it’s far enough that it isn’t going to be visible in your photos. That said, the secluded wooded surroundings still make it clear that you’re at Great Falls and it’s a great way to add some visual interest to your gallery.

Hidden Gems (Along the Trail)

Of course, a trip to Great Falls Park would hardly be complete without a little adventuring! The beautiful thing about this park is that there are so many branching paths, opportunities to scramble to better locations, and little hidden gems to find. Places to sit, places to get a little peek of the river in the background, places to let branches drape in front of the lens to create depth in the image… There’s endless variety along these trails, and I’ve never even wandered more than 5 minutes down the main trail from the entrance! This is a great way to make the session your own as you explore the areas off the beaten path. Difficulty here ranges widely; you can be super adventurous and climb across rocky areas and explore as deep into the woods as you’d like, or you can stick to the main path which is generally pretty smooth with only a few places you have to step over some large rocks or branches in the way. Note that the best views and best light of course come from the riverfront edges of the park and the path runs parallel to the river, which means you will need to do at least some exploration off the main path to get to the best areas for portraits; however, exactly how adventurous you want to be is up to you and there are some smaller paths that run through these areas to help make it easier if necessary. As stated before – if I can make it through these areas as out of shape as I am, then you probably can too!

Did I miss any of your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments below and hopefully we’ll be able to test it out at our next portrait session at Great Falls Park!