Little Falls is a 7-foot Class III+(IV) rapid on the Potomac River in the District of Columbia, a short way upstream of Chain Bridge. The rapids mark the upstream end of the tidal Potomac, and the river here runs beside the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
The falls
The drop reaches 7 feet at high water, formed by large river bars rather than solid bedrock. Just upstream, a concrete weir dam diverts water into the C&O Canal, which can shrink the falls considerably in summer; the 7-foot figure leaves the weir out. Little Falls Branch enters the Potomac at the rapids through a culvert under the canal.
The 2.4-mile Little Falls reach rates Class III+(IV), with lines that vary by level, and anything over 5 feet on the gauge is considered Class V. The gauge is Potomac River near Washington, DC, Little Falls Pump Station; 2.3 to 6 feet is typical, with 2.8 to 3.5 feet as a medium level.
Getting there
Put-ins are located at Locks 5 and 6 by way of the canal feeder channel, and take-outs at the observation deck, a steep carry over rock, or at Fletcher's Boathouse. As of September 2026 the Park Service has closed the Lock 5 parking lot and points visitors to Lock 6 instead; DC Water is repairing the Potomac Interceptor near Little Falls. The parking lot, access road and restrooms at Fletcher's Cove are open. Fletcher's Boathouse rents kayaks, canoes, rowboats and paddleboards seasonally.
When to go
In September 2026 the canal was drained between Locks 3 and 6, which rules out the usual paddle back up the canal.
On site
Hazards include pinning rocks, strainers and strong hydraulics, and scouting is advised before committing to a line. Swimming is prohibited in the Washington, DC and Montgomery County section of the Potomac. Many people have drowned in the river after underestimating the current or its depth, with hidden flood debris and deep holes posing hazards; entering the river is not advised when the water runs high or strong.
History and name
John Ballendine tried to build a canal around Little Falls in 1765. The Potomac Company, founded by George Washington in 1785, dug the Little Falls Skirting Canal in the 1790s, with wooden lift locks at Fletcher's Cove that were rebuilt in stone in 1812.
Nearby
Pimmit Run Falls is about 0.4 mile away, across the river in Virginia. Stubblefield Falls is about 4.8 miles away, Calico Rapids about 5.6 miles and Great Falls about 8.6 miles.
Distances are straight-line.