Great Falls Park
Visitor Services
Post Office
Post Office Locations:
Great Falls:
- 10001 Georgetown Pike
Great Falls, VA 20166
McLean:
- 1544 Spring Hill Rd.
McLean, VA 22102 - 6841 Elm Street
McLean, VA 22101
Convenience Store
The snack bar in the park is open seasonally, from mid-March until mid-November.
Nearby towns and services:
McLean (leaving from the park, continue straight through the light on Old Dominion for two miles):
- Grocery Store
- Restaurants
- Convenience store (located approximately one mile down Old Dominion Drive)
- Coffee shops
- Gas Station
Great Falls (leaving from the park, take a right at the light onto Georgetown Pike, the town is located approximately two miles down the road):
- Grocery Store
- Convenience Store
- Post Office
- Restaurants
- Gas Station
Reston/Herndon (leaving from the park, take a right at the light onto Georgetown Pike. Take a left onto Springvale and continue straight, crossing over Rt. 7. The road will turn into Baron Cameron, which will take you to Reston and Herndon):
- Convenience Stores
- Grocery Stores
- Restaurants
- Coffee shops
- Gas Station
- Town Center
Tyson's Corner (leaving from the park, continue straight at the light on Old Dominion. Take a right onto Chain Bridge, which will take you into Tyson's Corner):
- Shopping Malls
- Restaurants
- Grocery Stores
- Convenience Stores
- Gas station
Goods & Services
Services available in Great Falls Park include the bookstore and snack bar. The bookstore is open during normal Visitor Center hours. The snack bar is open seasonally from mid-March through mid- November.
Most major amenities can be found within a short drive from the park. This section of the website contains information on services available both in the park and in the surrounding area. If you have additional questions, please contact the park.
Gas Station
The closest gas stations can be found in the towns of McLean and Great Falls.
To get to McLean, go straight at the light as you exit the park. Follow Old Dominion Drive for approximately two miles. The gas station is on the left.
To get to Great Falls, as you exit the park, take a right at the traffic light onto Georgetown Pike. Continue straight on Georgetown Pike for approximately two miles. The gas stations are on the left.
Lodging
Great Falls Park is closed at dark. Overnight camping is prohibited and there are no lodging facilities within the park.
There are many options for lodging within the immediate area. A web search will provide a variety of choices. Nearby towns include Reston, Herndon, Tysons Corner, Falls Church, Arlington, Alexandria, Sterling, and Washington D.C.
Nearby Camping:
Fairfax County Park Authority
Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal NHP
Prince William Forest National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Catoctin Mountain National Park
Greenbelt National Park
Where To Eat
A snack bar is located in the Visitor Center courtyard. The snack bar is open seasonally from March through November, and offers light snacks, hot dogs, pizza, and drinks. Contact the park for operating hours.
Dining options in nearby towns include a variety of restaurants. The two closest towns are McLean and Great Falls. To reach McLean, proceed straight through the traffic light on Old Dominion Drive at the entrance to the park. To reach Great Falls, turn right at the traffic light onto Georgetown Pike. Other nearby places are Tysons Corner, Reston, Herndon, and Arlington.
Great Falls In Depth
News from the Parks
Light Pollution Harms Not Just Stargazers
December 2, 2008 - 1:03pm
For students of astronomy, Sunday and Monday night is the equivalent of a World Cup Final, a new Mac operating system, and a Zeppelin reunion show all rolled into one. That’s because, as Horizons guest blogger Pete Spotts noted in his post Sunday, Jupiter, Venus, and the moon will gather to direct a lopsided frown at North America, an arrangement that won’t happen again for another 44 years.
December 2, 2008 - 1:03pm
For students of astronomy, Sunday and Monday night is the equivalent of a World Cup Final, a new Mac operating system, and a Zeppelin reunion show all rolled into one. That’s because, as Horizons guest blogger Pete Spotts noted in his post Sunday, Jupiter, Venus, and the moon will gather to direct a lopsided frown at North America, an arrangement that won’t happen again for another 44 years.
Tourists Bite on ‘Twilight’ Vampire Tours of Forks, Washington
December 2, 2008 - 12:59pm
Fans of the hit movie “Twilight,” inspired by Stephenie Meyer’s vampire series, are swarming tiny Forks on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, where the novels are set, and checking out “Twilight”-themed tours, hotel packages and even food.
December 2, 2008 - 12:59pm
Fans of the hit movie “Twilight,” inspired by Stephenie Meyer’s vampire series, are swarming tiny Forks on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, where the novels are set, and checking out “Twilight”-themed tours, hotel packages and even food.
Crowds Observe World AIDS Day In GG Park
December 2, 2008 - 12:56pm
People from across the country gathered in Golden Gate Park's National AIDS Memorial Grove Monday to observe the 20th annual World AIDS Day.
December 2, 2008 - 12:56pm
People from across the country gathered in Golden Gate Park's National AIDS Memorial Grove Monday to observe the 20th annual World AIDS Day.
Grounded in God, Green and Glaciers
December 2, 2008 - 12:37pm
Remember when Arizona Sen. John McCain criticized spending millions of taxpayer dollars to fund the DNA of grizzly bears in Montana during one of the presidential debates? “That’s us,” said David Restivo, a Roberts Wesleyan College alumnus and visual information specialist at Glacier National Park in Montana.
December 2, 2008 - 12:37pm
Remember when Arizona Sen. John McCain criticized spending millions of taxpayer dollars to fund the DNA of grizzly bears in Montana during one of the presidential debates? “That’s us,” said David Restivo, a Roberts Wesleyan College alumnus and visual information specialist at Glacier National Park in Montana.
Smokies' Formation Began 500 Million to 600 Million Years Ago
December 2, 2008 - 12:35pm
As the Great Smoky Mountains National Park prepares to celebrate its 75th year, students of history and geology are pondering questions that go back much farther than the park's creation in the 1930s. The most fascinating queries to them concern the actual formation of the mountains, their age and topography.
December 2, 2008 - 12:35pm
As the Great Smoky Mountains National Park prepares to celebrate its 75th year, students of history and geology are pondering questions that go back much farther than the park's creation in the 1930s. The most fascinating queries to them concern the actual formation of the mountains, their age and topography.
