11 Best Things to Do in Potomac, MD

July 1, 2020 - Updated

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Potomac is a census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, on the banks of the Potomac River. It is effectively a suburb of Washington D.C. and many residents work in Washington. Potomac is home to Glenstone Museum, a privately owned contemporary art museum holding a collection of about 1,300 works of art created post-World War II by artists from all over the world. The Billy Goat Trail is a 4.7-mile long hiking trail between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. Great Falls is a series of waterfalls and rapids on the Potomac River, 14 miles upstream from Washington, D.C., protected by the Great Falls Park.

1.MoCo's Founding Farmers

MoCo Founding Farmers is the cooperative-grower-owned eatery located in Potomac, Montgomery County, Maryland. It serves farm-to-table American traditional menu in spacious, rustic dining room, created with reclaimed and recycled materials and unique, handcrafted details. MoCo’s Founding Farmers is open every day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on weekends. This full-service, farmer-owned restaurant and bar prepares all of the food and drink from scratch, including freshly baked bread, butter, pasta, desserts, ice cream and sodas. Their very popular craft cocktails are made from their own award-winning spirits. Most of the ingredients for their meals come from American family farms.

12505 Park Potomac Ave, Potomac, MD 20854, Phone: 301-340-8783

2.Glenstone Museum

Located in Potomac, Maryland, about 15 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. Glenstone is a privately owned contemporary art museum holding a collection of about 1,300 works of art created post-World War II by artists from all over the world. The museum, set in a beautiful natural landscape, was established and funded by American businessman Mitchell Rales. The artists represented in Glenstone's collection are already established and have been exhibited for 15 years or more. The museum originally opened in a building designed by Charles Gwathmey in 2006. It is sitting on a 230-acre campus and has been expanded several times. The museum opened to the public on October 4, 2018 after Its largest expansion with new landscaping, outdoor sculpture installation and a new museum complex called the Pavilions.

12100 Glen Rd, Potomac, MD 20854

3.Billy Goat Trail

The Billy Goat Trail is a 4.7-mile long hiking trail between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River. It is located near Great Falls in Montgomery County, Maryland, within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The trail is divided into three sections and was laid out in 1919 by the YMCA Triangle Club. Section A of the trail crosses Bear Island, through rough and rocky terrain that includes a steep climb along a cliff in the Mather Gorge on the Potomac River. At one point on this trail, hikers have to scramble over or around giant boulders. The other sections of the trail are much easier. Most of the trail is well marked. .The access to the trail is free, although there is an entrance fee to the park.

Montgomery County, Maryland

4.Westfield Montgomery

Westfield Montgomery or Montgomery Mall is a popular shopping center in Bethesda, Maryland. The mall opened in March 1968, and at the time had three anchor stores and 58 smaller shops. It was developed by The May Department Stores Company and Strouse, Greenberg & Co. as a joint venture. It was designed by John Graham, Jr. and Ward and Hall. The Mall became famous as the place where longtime fugitive William Bradford Bishop bought a hammer and gas he used to kill and burn his family in March 1976. The mall was expanded in mid-1970s adding 155,000-square-foot Woodward & Lothrop store and 40 more stores that occupied 60,000 square feet. The last renovation in October 1991 included brass railings and glass elevator, which was later removed. All the fountains were removed to make space for more kiosks and seating. The grand re-opening included a concert by Tony Bennett. The Boulevard Cafes food court is located on the second level. Anchor stores today include Macy's, Macy's Home, and Nordstrom.

7101 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda, MD 20817, Phone: 301-469-6000

5.Olmsted Island

Olmsted Island is a small, less than 0.2 square kilometers, island in Potomac, Maryland, in the middle of the Potomac River near Great Falls, across the river from Great Falls Park. The small island is covered in a bedrock terrace forest, a home to many rare, threatened or endangered plant species. The island is rocky, with steep cliffs facing the river. The island is also home to herons, small lizards, wild geese and other animals. There is a fenced-in wooden walkway in the southern part of the island. To protect the island wildlife, visitors have to stay on the walkway. The walkway ends in an overlook that offers a beautiful view of the Great Falls of the Potomac River.

Potomac, Maryland

6.Great Falls

Great Falls is a series of waterfalls and rapids on the Potomac River, 14 miles upstream from Washington, D.C. Great Falls are protected by the Great Falls Park, operated by the National Park Service, located on the southern banks in Virginia, and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Parkland, located along the northern banks of the Potomac River in Maryland. The hikers on the Billy Goat Trail on Bear Island enjoy wonderful views of the Great Falls. The views are also spectacular from vantage points on Olmsted Island. The Great Falls park is popular destination for outdoor activities that include kayaking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and hiking. Little Falls are located about 5 miles downstream Great Falls.

Montgomery County, Maryland

7.Falls Road Park

Falls Road Park, locally known as Hadley’s Park, is a 20-acre urban park in Potomac, Maryland established in 1986. The park has a range of multi-purpose playing fields for soccer, baseball, softball and football, as well as fields for picnics and small fairs. In 1999, a Hadley’s Park playground was created to be used by special needs as well as able-bodied children. The park includes three play sets - a pirate ship, a castle and a frontier village. It also has handicap-accessible swing sets, a spacious picnic area, and a hard but yielding surface trail that can support wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, bikes, roller blades, etc. There are also games and challenges written in braille on bright colorful signs, for visually impaired children.

12600 Falls Rd, Potomac, MD 20854, Phone: 301-495-2595

8.Falls Road Golf Course

Falls Road is a public golf course in Potomac, Maryland, only minutes from Washington DC. Opened in 1961, this was the first MCG golf course. Falls Road is located east of the Village of Potomac, on 150 acres of former farmland. The course layout offers satisfying round of golf, with picturesque rolling terrain. There are four sets of tees, generous fairways, and spacious greens, making the golf course friendly to beginners, women, juniors and senior golfers. The front nine holes course is a parkland type and the back nine is tree lined. This diversity makes it fun for golfers of all skill levels. The course is slightly longer than 6100 yards from the back tees and plays to a par 70.

10800 Falls Rd, Potomac, MD 20854, Phone: 301-299-5156

9.O’Donnell's Market

The O’Donnell family has been running the O’Donnell’s Market and sharing its original recipes and their unique Norfolk style of cooking with the folks in Potomac and the rest of the Montgomery County for almost a century. Located in Potomac Woods Plaza, O’Donnell’s Market offers fresh seafood, the best quality cuts of meat and a range of healthy, freshly prepared dishes ready to take home. The visitors are greeted by the tantalizing aroma of freshly baked bread, pies and pastries. Don’t forget to try famous O’Donnell’s rum buns made from scratch every day by their pastry chef. If all these smells make you hungry, you can also dine in. O’Donnell’s Market’s grill raw bar serve delicious meals using the fresh ingredients from their display cases.

1073 Seven Locks Rd, Potomac, MD 20854, Phone: 301-251-6355

10.Brooklyn's Deli

Located in Potomac Woods Plaza in Potomac, Maryland, Brooklyn’s Deli is a traditional New York-style Jewish deli serving classic deli treats and specialty dishes difficult to find outside the five boroughs. Bright, inviting and friendly dining room is often packed, full of friends, business partners and families craving slow-cooked corned beef, knishes, tongue, rugelach, and matzoh ball soup. Every dish is made fresh to order. All their superb deli meats are made in house: —Corned Beef, Pastrami, Hand Carved Pastrami, Brisket, Roasted Turkey, Ham and Tongue. Power breakfast at Brooklyn’s Deli means Corned Beef Hash, Omelettes, Artisan Bagels from Bethesda Bagels, Pancakes from Scratch and Famous Cheese Blintzes.

1089 Seven Locks Rd, Potomac, MD 20854, Phone: 301-340-3354

11.Breadsmith

Breadsmith is an award-winning chain of retail bakeries making a wide range of breads from scratch and baked in the stone heart oven. Breadsmith makes delicious artisan breads and sweets. Each loaf is made in the time-honored way, by hand, without any additives and preservatives, with the best ingredients. Like in old times, bakers are working through the night to have freshly baked breads and sweets ready for you in the morning. Each loaf is formed by hand in an environment free of peanuts and other nuts, and baked in a European hearth stone oven that weighs five tons. Their Potomac location is located in Cabin John Village.

7937 Tuckerman Ln, Potomac, MD 20854, Phone: 301-983-6033