Olmsted Island

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Image 1: A scenic overlook is built into a rock on Olmsted Island.

Image 2: A zoomed in picture on the plaque from Image 1.

Image 3: The view from the tourist walkway on Olmsted Island overlooking the Great Falls of the Potomac River.

Olmsted Island is a small island in the middle of the Potomac River in Maryland near Great Falls named after Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr..

Olmsted Island is a part of C & O Canal National Historical Park, located across the river from Great Falls Park. It is very rocky and has steep cliffs facing the river where it has been eroded over time. It has some trees and vegetation on it. The total area of the island (estimating from calibrated satellite footage) is no more than 0.2 square kilometers. A fenced-in wooden tourist walkway winds along the southern part of the island. For the purposes of protecting the island's natural wildlife visitors are not allowed to leave the tourist walkway. The tourist walkway eventually ends in a scenic overlook platform (see images 1 and 2) that has a beautiful view of the Great Falls of the Potomac River (see image 3).

[edit] External links

• Satellite imagery of Olmsted Island on Google Maps. If you look carefully towards the southern end of the island you can see the tourist walkway winding its way and finally ending in the overlook platform at Great Falls.