Scott’s Run Nature Preserve

Love hiking! It’s a beautiful spot to hike up and down the hills (I didn’t go with the trail). Perfect for some cardio and some footworkStick with the provided trail if you want to go easy. Then after you get rewarded with this cute tiny waterfall. Air so fresh. Just a cute beautiful nature reserve. Not packed which is Good to just have some time alone or with someone.

Quick easy 45 minute loop, small waterfall at the end and great intimate views of the Potomac that offers a different perspective from Great Falls or Billy Goat hikes. Very easy hike for people of all ages!

Perfect place for a nice hike in the warm weather with a relaxing atmosphere to catch up on some reading by the waterfall. Though it could sometimes get crowded. The parking lots are kind of hidden, so be alert to keep from going around in circles looking for them!

Beautiful nature reserve along the Potomac with wide trails that are great for family fun or a hilly run!
We took a jaunt over here when we wanted to do a quick hike one afternoon and we’re glad we made the drive.
There is plenty of parking at both ends of the reserve and some great areas to relax and have a little picnic.
This park is mostly quite, but take note — it sometimes hosts the flight path of the very loud jets that visit Reagan National!

At heart I am more content in the company of trees than grinding automobiles and commerce. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been walking here for so many years. The history of this urban getaway is instructive in how a small group of residents fought Fairfax County to preserve this gorgeous forest of stately, tall trees from the steady onslaught of urban development and encroachment of almost every inch of this region into concrete edifices or their supporting infrastructure (parking lots, roads, sidewalks). Lucky for us, they won back in the 60s. (Would we perhaps learn from this beautiful natural reprieve, hanging so tenuously just off the 8-​lane, heavily-​trafficked Beltway, how to pay it forward for the rest of the planet?)
The best part of this place used to be that it was poorly signed and those of us who walked here regularly learned to find our way by recognizing key fallen logs or turn-​offs; way-​finding on the basis of non-​urban, natural clues. Yet probably to your delight, that too has gone the way of ugly modernity, as color-​coded map signage has found its way along the informal trail and track system of the woods.
The trees are delightful company. The trails will allow you to lose yourself away from traffic, crowds, and glass and steel rectilinear towers. But you are not alone in the woods. You won’t see wild animals here because domestic animals run rampant, as entitled pet-​owners treat this preserve of wild nature as their personal dog parks, and the County cares little. They leave dog poop open in the forest as well as plastic bags of dog poop. Not kidding.
Sometimes you’ll think someone is watching you in the woods and you would be right. As people have been turned out from the impossibly high-​cost living options in the area, a few have returned to live as the ancestors did, making little shelters and huts in protected embankments of the river or nooks in the forest. This is the post-​recession USA where the have-​nots have been rendered invisible in a cruel, market-​driven civic life, and therefore retreat back to whence they came, nature. They are there. In the woods.

Best kept secret in Mclean/​Great falls!
went there over the weekend… with the family.
the hike is relatively easy; we didn’t take the stroller cause it has some rocky parts… but our 4 year old didn’t have any issues. The last stretch is a bit tough so i wouldn’t take a kid there, but the rest is awesome, clean fun!

Nice park with a few short hiking trails. Not quite as navigable as Great Falls Park (requires stream crossing in a few places, which can cause traffic jams and are daunting for small kids) and less impressive views. On the other hand, it’s less crowded than Great Falls, owing to the very limited parking. Before you go, know that there are TWO parking lots, both off of Georgetown Pike. The eastern lot — close to the 495 junction — is very small; the western lot is about 3x bigger. The lots can only hold maybe 40ish cars combined.
My main complaint is the number of off-​leash dogs. Large dogs shouldn’t be off leash if they aren’t trained not to jump up. A medium sized dog jumped on me while I was holding my daughter. He wasn’t being malicious — just a high energy dog looking for attention — but he did get mud all over my jeans. I could imagine small kids or small dogs being easily scared. I asked around and nobody near by would own up to being the dog’s owner. This wasn’t the only off leash dog, either, practically everybody here lets their dog off leash.

Awesome trails. Well maintained and good mix of woods and water. It was populated but not too much so for a beautiful fall day. Dogs on leashes and in the water were welcomed. I’d never been there before and it will become a regular spot.

Great for some alone time or with a buddy. Serene with picturesque view of a small waterfall towards the end of the the trail.
Ample parking space but no toilet available.

I’ve had Scott’s Run bookmarked for months now, but I’m so glad I waited until today to go for a hike. It was the most perfect, gorgeous day; the weather was fall-​like and just got me all stoked for when fall actually arrives. Anyways, I persuaded the boyfriend to go hiking with me to Scott’s Run. Parking was crowded but there were still a few spots left. Definitely come a bit earlier to snatch up a legit parking spot.
We hiked the Potomac Heritage Trail, which was a fairly easy hike down to the Potomac River and the waterfall. There’s one slightly steep incline followed by one fairly steep downhill but otherwise the unpaved path is not bad at all. We saw tons of people — couples, families with small kids, dogs — hike this path without much difficulty. There are several other trails too. One of the reasons why I like Scott’s Run is that you can make it as easy or as difficult of a hike as you want it to be.
The view as you approach the waterfall and the river is picturesque. Even though there are signs stating a strict no swimming policy, it doesn’t seem like anyone was paying heed to these signs. I saw lots of folks and their canine friends dipping in the river and in the waterfall. The water is calmer and shallower here, allowing folks to easily wade around. Just be careful of the rocks in the water, which can be very slippery. Also be careful if you’re trying to climb around and to the top of the waterfall, as the rocks are very slippery and uneven.
Very scenic and idyllic, a sharp contrast to the bustling suburban crawl just minutes away from this natural preserve.

This is where the youths hang out.
I seriously though I had stumbled into a Miley Cyrus (circa Party in the USA) video. Everything was so bright, happy, fun, and youthful! There were bikini clad tweens snapping selfies underneath the waterfall, couples sunning and sneaking a few illicit beers on the rocks, and a few brave souls actually swimming in the river.
It was hard to imagine that just a few seconds ago the boy and I were battling rush hour traffic on 495.
The waterfall is in no ways Great Falls, but it’s small and inviting and a perfect backdrop for summer splashing. I’m on the fence on whether or not I would get a horrible flesh eating bacteria here so I don’t know if I would go in the water or not. Overall though, it looks pretty idyllic.
We parked in the East Parking lot which was an easy walk to the falls. We decided to do some exploring afterwards and like many Unilocalers who complained about terribly marked and non-​maintained trails got horribly lost. We ended up at the Langley Swim & Racquet Club and decided to walk a mile back to the parking lot using main roads because it was so confusing.
We saw lots of toads, tons of fallen trees, the biggest, juiciest earthworm I have ever seen, babbling brooks, rocky river terrains straight out of Pocahontas, and stripped animal bones (please Lord make it be animal bones). The trails are narrow and often lead to nowhere so I would leave the Ergo or the Bugaboos at home.
For those looking for adventure in your own backyard, I highly recommend!

This is my new favorite place to go hiking. Get here early, because both of the small parking lots fill up very quickly. There are several different trails that you can take, some short and some longer. Thankfully, there are maps all throughout the park to show you where you are and where the trails go.
At the end of a short trail, there is a beautiful waterfall on the Potomac River. At the bottom of the waterfall, there is a very popular cove where people were wading into the water and lots of dogs were swimming. If you plan on wading into the water, make sure to bring water shoes because the stones hurt your feet!
Overall, this is a really great park. There are challenging trails and there are easy trails. It’s a nice place to get some fresh air and exercise.

Good place to go for a hike. bring my kids mess around at the creek. Also as a tip this creek Holds Gold for the panners.
But overall fun trip everytime i go.

Scott’s Run has several trails. I hiked the trail to the waterfall, which follows alongside a stream most of the way. I parked at the second lot, just before the sign that says Betty Cooke Memorial Bridge. When I arrived around 10:45 am on Saturday, there was plenty of parking, but the lot was about full by the time I left, just after noon.
The trail is easy and lovely. Shaded the whole way. There is one uphill stretch, nothing too strenuous. Lots of dogs and families. The waterfall at the end is very pretty. People had scrambled over rocks to get to it and swim.

Fun short hike just exiting the beltway. If you like dogs, this is the place for you. Many people take their dogs and watching a Corgi swim in the river was the highlight of this hike. Also, rock climbing through the waterfall is much more fun than going around it, and it’s not that hard. You can also have a snack sitting on one of big rocks near the waterfall which is so nice and relaxing.

I love this spot! I take the trail that leads to the west side of the waterfall, where there are big rocks to picnic on. It took me a while to figure out how to get over there, though — the first time, I bouldered down the river. Take the trail across the stepping stones and down the west side of the river. It will turn sharply away from the river up a steep hill, but stick with it! It will wind its way back.

For me this is my favorite after work hike for two reasons:
1) It’s close. It’s off 495, and the Georgetown Pike exit, and parking is abundant
2) A hike here is easily done in about 1 – 2 hours if you’re racing the sunset.
You get a lot of nature for such a little hike. Within a mile, you’re down by a waterfall. Most of the hiking paths here will loop around at around 2 miles.
I see lots of people playing on the rocks and swimming in the waters by the waterfall. You can boulder jump up that top of the waterfall with some relative ease. The water is much clearer and less mucky than the rest of the Potomac, so it looks inviting but I am gonna add a couple of points (1) swimming is against the law at Scott’s Run (2) many sources of pollution make the waters potentially hazardous to human health. Storm runoff in the Tyson’s area washes human and animal waste into the creek. Mountain bikers and horseback riders have added to the waste. The epidemiologist in me will leave you with this:
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As other reviewers have noted hiking here is tranquil. It’s actually hard to believe that Tyson’s Corner is really close by. The hike is also very dog friendly, and is most shady which my pug appreciates.
There are two entrances into Scott’s Run off of Georgetown Pike with small parking lots and trailheads leading into the stream valley park. The first parking lot you encounter will take you up stairs into the forest hike and the bluffs above the Potomac River. The next entrance sits alongside the stream and you’ll follow wide paths to the waterfall.
This is a relatively easy hike so if you’re looking for something more strenous but close by check out Difficult Run just down the street:
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I came here the week after going to the Billy Goat Trail so a lot of this review will be comparing the two. Parking was a bit difficult as there are 2 small parking lots and only one is labeled with Scotts Run. We almost walked to the wrong parking lot at the ed of our hike but luckily ran into a fellow hiker who helped direct us in the right direction. Unlike Billy Goat, this trail did not seem to have any clear markings so my group accidentally went off trail a lot.
We came across the abandoned chimney which was really cool and happened to have a map next to it. We discovered that we had taken the woodley trail — there were definitely steep hills to climb up to get a good workout in, but at the same time, we are not sure if this was the actual trail or if we just went off into the woods by accident. (lots of bugs!)
The waterfall area was small but very cute. We couldn’t figure out a way to get closer the waterfall though — perhaps we aren’t allowed to? We ventured out to find a way in, but ended up practically in someone’s backyard. Whoops!
There were really cool stones to walk across the water and the dog that we brought with us leaped between each one — it was adorable!
Due to the bugs, and ability to get completely lost, I think I will stick with the Billy Goat Trail in the future.

Don’t let the pretty pics fool you, this hike is a snooze.
If you’re looking for an easy hike/​walk with some great views, Scott’s Run is for YOU! It’s free, plenty of parking, can be completed in under an hour, a good path for small children, pet friendly and peaceful.
The two highlights of the trail are:
–Abandoned Chimney
–Waterfall – small, but nice. Swimming is supposed to be prohibited, but well… I observed some that couldn’t resist. Is it really a crime? Technically, I think that it might be… lol
Hikers, if you’re looking for a workout– try Difficult Run (free) or Billy Goat (park entrance fee). If you’re just getting started with hiking/​working out, this is a great beginner trail.

Oh rook, Asian sized watafall to sterilize my hoo-​ha! Feel like martial artist as you skim across fording posts!
Four and a half stars. The payoff is scaled with the amount of effort available, and I didn’t hear much traffic noise to disturb my zen. Decent amount of parking between the two lots I saw, no entrance fee. Quite a few dogs off leash, and families with young kids netting up crawfish. Still haven’t checked out the chimney, but there are a few light bouldering options are available if you’re willing to contend with algae. I’ll be back with a swimsuit, bugscreen, and book to sunbathe a few afternoons away at the top of the falls.