Billy Goat Trail

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Billy Goat Trail
Students scrambling over boulders on Section A of the trail. Mather Gorge is on the left.
Length	4.7 mi (7.6 km)
Location	Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
Trailheads	C&O Canal Bear Island
Use	Hiking Trail Running
Trail Difficulty	Strenuous (Section A) Moderate (Section B) Easy (Section C)
Season	All year
Sights	Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park

The Billy Goat Trail (also written as Billygoat Trail) is a 4.7 miles (7.6 km) hiking trail that follows a path between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park near Great Falls in Montgomery County, Maryland. The trail has three sections, Section A is 1.7 miles (2.7 km), Section B is 1.4 miles (2.3 km) and Section C is 1.6 miles (2.6 km). Section A is by far the most popular of the three.

Section A of the Billy Goat Trail is on Bear Island and traverses rough and rocky terrain, including a steep climb along a cliff face along the Potomac River's Mather Gorge. Hikers should take caution. At another point in the trail, hikers are required to scramble over and around huge boulders. Sections B and C are less strenuous; Section B requires only one brief scramble, and Section C none whatever. Most of the trail is well marked with light blue trail blazes. Hikers are asked to please not leave the blue blazed trail , even on the rocks. No pets are allowed.

Section A is best accessed from the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center area or the parking area near Old Anglers Inn. Section B is best accessed from Old Anglers Inn, and Section C is best accessed from Carderock. All sections of the trail are free, although an entrance fee is charged when entering and parking near the Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center. No fee is charged when parking near Old Anglers Inn or Carderock.

The three sections of the trail do not connect directly with each other, but rather, are connected by the towpath along the C&O Canal. Thus, to traverse the whole Billy Goat Trail in order, one must start off on the towpath at the entrance to section A, traverse section A, which lets out along the towpath, then walk along the towpath to the beginning of section B, etc.. The end point of section C is about 2.75 miles (4.4 km) southeast along the towpath from the starting point of section A.