Maryland whitewater, Potomac River Montgomery county, Violette's Lock - GW Canal Loop section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.   CLASS I-II     4 miles   The starting location is a short drive from Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, if you're not familiar with the area there's a road map further down the page. The Violette's Lock - GW Canal Loop stretch of Potomac River is 4 miles long and it is classified as a class I-II section by American Whitewater. Whether you're whitewater rafting or kayaking in this general area you'll find lots of paddling rivers. If you'll be staying in a hotel you're     in luck, lodging is available very near the river, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set. This is a pretty decent length section, you can easily run it on an afternoon. This is not the only paddling section in this river system, there are others too. There's camping available near Potomac River. If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more forgiving, so better not forget that rivers in this state are less demanding. A good workout and a chance to spend some time outdoors will have you coming back for more. Briefly about the general area: The Meadow Trail is a great hiking   trail in the vicinity of Potomac River, and during your tour here you'll meet some folks from Great Falls for sure. Not far from Potomac River you come across Blockhouse Point; obviously, everyone loves Seneca Creek State Park. This river has it all. On a pleasant day at Potomac River you can take a hike along the Paw Paw Passage Trail, and of course, all our national parks are nice places to stop by and Wolf Trap Farm Park is no exception. A good deal of rain falls at Potomac River. The month of May is the wettest with most of the rain, and the driest of the months is February. Potomac River, Violette's Lock - GW Canal Loop road map Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.     Map Detailed Map Stats Stats for this river stretch Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Potomac River.   Whitewater Near Potomac River: Potomac River, Montgomery County, 1 miles away       Class I-II - 4 miles long (Violette's Lock - GW Canal Loop) Potomac River, Montgomery County, 6 miles away       Class V+ - 0.6 miles long (Through Great Falls) Potomac River, Montgomery County, 6 miles away       Class I-IV - 6.5 miles long (Mather Gorge to Lock 10) Difficult Run, Fairfax County, 7 miles away       Class III-IV(V+) - 0.9 miles long (Old Georgetown Pike to Potomac River) Scott's Run, -blank- County, 9 miles away       Class IV-V - -blank- miles long (Swinks Mill Road to Fairfax County Park trailhead) Little Seneca Creek, Montgomery County, 10 miles away       Class II(III) - 5.2 miles long (Boyds to Darnestown) Cabin John Creek, Montgomery County, 11 miles away       Class -blank- - 3 miles long (River Road to Potomac) Rock Creek, Mongomery County, 12 miles away       Class I(II) - -blank- miles long (Rockville to Military Road) Pimmit Run, Fairfax/ Arlington County, 12 miles away       Class II-III - 3 miles long (Old Dominion Drive to above Glebe Road) Accotink Creek, Fairfax County, 13 miles away       Class I-II - 13 miles long (King Arthur Road to Telegraph Road)   Ski Areas Near Potomac River: Ski Liberty, Pennsylvania , 38 miles away, 620 foot drop, 8 lifts, 16 runs Ski Roundtop, Pennsylvania , 63 miles away, 600 foot drop, 11 lifts, 15 runs Tussey Mountain, Pennsylvania , 97 miles away, 500 foot drop, 5 lifts, 8 runs   Marinas Near Potomac River: Columbia Island Marina, Arlington , 18 miles away   Hotels Near Potomac River: Hawthorn Suites By Wyndham Sterling Dulles, Sterling , 6 miles away Hampton Inn Dulles-Cascades, Sterling , 6 miles away Hyatt Regency Reston, Reston , 6 miles away Comfort Inn Washington Dulles International, Herndon , 6 miles away ExecuStay Metrpoltn Restn TnCt, Reston , 6 miles away   Campgrounds Near Potomac River: Valley Mill Camp, Germantown, 1 miles away Lake Fairfax County Park, Reston, 5 miles away C and O Canal NHP - Swains Lock, Potomac, 5 miles away   Trails Near Potomac River: Paw Paw Passage Trail, Fairfax , 5 miles away Meadow Trail, Fairfax , 5 miles away Potomac Heritage Trail, Fairfax , 5 miles away Gold Mine Trail, Montgomery , 7 miles away Western Ridge Trail, District of Columbia , 19 miles away   Public Lands Near Potomac River: Wolf Trap Farm Park, Vienna - VA , 8 miles away Great Falls Park, McLean - VA , 12 miles away Seneca Creek State Park, Maryland , 9 miles away Patuxent River State Park, Maryland , 21 miles away George Washington's Grist Mill Historic State Park, Virginia , 23 miles away   Golf Courses Near Potomac River: Bretton Woods Recreation Center, Germantown , 1 miles away Bretton Woods Recreation Center, Gaithersburg , 1 miles away Algonkian Regional Park, Sterling , 4 miles away   Lakes Near Potomac River Lake Needwood, Montgomery , 13 miles away Burke Lake, Fairfax , 16 miles away Lake Barcroft, Fairfax , 17 miles away