Around here
Around Difficult Run
- Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing ArtsRecreation area1.7 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Great Falls ParkRecreation area3.2 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Great Falls Park Visitor CenterVisitor center3.6 mi (opens in a new tab)
- Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical ParkRecreation area4 mi (opens in a new tab)
Data Source: Recreation.gov · Source: USGS GNIS · Source: National Park Service. No claim to original U.S. Government works. · Public land: USGS PAD-US
About this river
Difficult Run is a 10.7 mile stream near Valley Mill Kayak School in Maryland. Streamflow is measured at the USGS gauge Difficult Run near Great Falls, VA (site 01646000). The National Hydrography Dataset places it at stream order 4. Reach geometry comes from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset.
Typical flow by month
1935 to 2026
Difficult Run typically runs highest in March, at a median 60 cfs, and lowest in September, at 18 cfs. The highest flow on record for any single day is 25,000 cfs, in 1972.
Show the numbers
| Month | Typical (cfs) | Usual range (cfs) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 47 | 31 to 70 |
| February | 54 | 39 to 78 |
| March | 60 | 43 to 86 |
| April | 56 | 41 to 84 |
| May | 48 | 33 to 75 |
| June | 37 | 22 to 53 |
| July | 26 | 16 to 41 |
| August | 21 | 11 to 35 |
| September | 18 | 9.4 to 28 |
| October | 20 | 13 to 32 |
| November | 28 | 20 to 45 |
| December | 38 | 27 to 60 |
Typical is the median of each month’s daily median values, and the usual range runs from the median 25th to the median 75th percentile, across about 91 years of record. Statistics published by the US Geological Survey for Difficult Run near Great Falls, VA (site 01646000). Conditions on any given day can fall well outside the usual range. Check the current reading before you go.
Made to print
Put Difficult Run on your wall
This river section as an art print, drawn over the real terrain with its miles, plus the trails, roads and peaks around it. Pick the colors and the size, and see the finished print before you buy. From $39, shipping included.
Embed this gauge on your site
Paste this snippet anywhere, an outfitter page, a club site, a trip report, to show Difficult Run's live streamflow, water level and 7-day trend. It reads the USGS gauge directly, updates itself, and links back here.
See every free widget you can put on your site, including live conditions and a 7 day forecast.
