Virginia whitewater - Difficult Run, Fairfax County

Fairfax county, Old Georgetown Pike to Potomac River section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS III-IV(V+)     0.9 miles
  The wonderful Fairfax County scenery and the water flowing gracefully down Difficult Run make the trip here worthwhile. The starting point is not too far from Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. This stretch of Difficult Run is 0.9 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class III-IV(V+) section. There are campgrounds quite near the river where you can camp. The average Virginia whitewater rafting or kayaking river tends to be a bit easier to master than those
    in other states, so you'd better keep in mind that many runs in this state are very easy. Getting your paddling muscles activated and just hanging out with mother nature are great reasons to come. This is the only paddling section along Difficult Run. This is an extremely short
stretch so no need to bring snacks. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling spots.

Briefly about the general area:
The annual precipitation here at Difficult Run is about average; most of the rain falls during May while February is mostly the driest month. This is such a wonderful river. Mather Gorge is right next door to Difficult Run and is certainly a pleasant site to explore, and The Spout is a beautiful place to pop by while you're at Difficult Run.
There is a great hiking trail
 
right next door to Difficult Run called the Potomac Heritage Trail; a journey to Wolf Trap Farm Park is worthwhile. During the long summer days at Difficult Run highs are usually in the 80's while night lows are usually in the 60's. Daytime highs during the wintertime are in the 30's, and night lows at Difficult Run during the winter mostly plunge into the 20's.
A short tour to Great Falls is always worthwhile; on a glorious day you can take a hike along the Gold Mine Trail.

Difficult Run, Old Georgetown Pike to Potomac River road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: III-IV(V+)
Length: 0.9 miles
Average Gradient: 110 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.97579
Longitude: -77.2464

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 38.9762
Longitude: -77.2353

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Current weather conditions at Difficult Run, Virginia
WXPort

Local climate location: BOYDS 8 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Residence Inn Tysons Corner, Vienna
3 miles away
Residence Inn Tysons Corner Hotel is located in a quiet, residential environment nestled in a cul-de-sac in the heart of one of the fastest growing business centers in the country. Twelve separate bu...

Sheraton Premiere At Tysons Corner, Vienna
3 miles away
Just 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. and minutes from many corporate offices, Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner is a great choice for business or pleasure. We?re conveniently close to fabulous shopp...

Comfort Inn Tysons Corner, Vienna
3 miles away
Best value in Tysons Corner. Rate includes superior continental breakfast, happy hour, and complimentary scheduled shuttle service within 3 mile radius of hotel and Dunn Loring metro station. Ideal lo...



OTHER_INFO
  All Virginia Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Virginia.
Books about whitewater paddling on Difficult Run, Virginia
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Difficult Run, Virginia.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Virginia

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia, the metro area neareast to Difficult Run. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Difficult Run.
 Whitewater Near Difficult Run:
Potomac River, Montgomery County , 1 miles away, Class V+ - 0.6 miles long (Through Great Falls)
Potomac River, Montgomery County , 2 miles away, Class I-IV - 6.5 miles long (Mather Gorge to Lock 10)
Cabin John Creek, Montgomery County , 6 miles away, Class -blank- - 3 miles long (River Road to Potomac)
Potomac River, Montgomery County , 7 miles away, Class I-II - 4 miles long (Violette's Lock - GW Canal Loop)
Little Seneca Creek, Montgomery County , 7 miles away, Class II(III) - 5.2 miles long (Boyds to Darnestown)
Pimmit Run, Fairfax/ Arlington County , 7 miles away, Class II-III - 3 miles long (Old Dominion Drive to above Glebe Road)
Pimmit Run, Fairfax/ Arlington County , 9 miles away, Class IV(V) - 0 miles long (Glebe Road to Potomac)
Potomac River, Montgomery County , 9 miles away, Class II-III(IV) - 2 miles long (Little Falls)
Accotink Creek, Fairfax County , 11 miles away, Class I-II - 13 miles long (King Arthur Road to Telegraph Road)
Four Mile Run, Arlington County , 11 miles away, Class III - 4.5 miles long (Ohio Street to Arlington Ridge Road)
 Ski Areas Near Difficult Run:
Ski Liberty, Pennsylvania , 43 miles away, 620 vertical feet
Ski Roundtop, Pennsylvania , 65 miles away, 600 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Difficult Run:
Residence Inn Tysons Corner, Vienna , 3 miles away
Sheraton Premiere At Tysons Corner, Vienna , 3 miles away
Comfort Inn Tysons Corner, Vienna , 3 miles away
Oakwood at Avalon Crescent, Mclean , 3 miles away
Best Western Tysons Westpark, Mclean , 3 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Difficult Run:
Christopher Run Campground, Lake Anna, 7 miles away
Valley Mill Camp, Germantown, 8 miles away
Hillwood Camping Park, Gainesville, 13 miles away
 Trails Near Difficult Run:
Gold Mine Trail, Montgomery County , 1 miles away
Potomac Heritage Trail, Fairfax County , 2 miles away
Meadow Trail, Fairfax County , 2 miles away
Paw Paw Passage Trail, Fairfax County , 3 miles away
Upland Trail, District of Columbia County , 13 miles away
 National Parks Near Difficult Run:
Wolf Trap Farm Park, Vienna - VA , 3 miles away
Great Falls Park, McLean - VA , 5 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Difficult Run:
Herndon Town Golf Course Municipal, Vienna , 4 miles away
 Lakes Near Difficult Run

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater