Billy Goat Trail - Member Hike
| Hike Name: | Billy Goat Trail |
|---|---|
| Country: | United States |
| State: | Maryland |
| Nearby Town: | D.C. |
| Rating: |  |
| Directions: | Get off the 495 (Beltway) @ Clara Barton Pkwy & Carder Rock and go west on Clara Barton Pkwy. Take left at stop sign, through another and a parking area will be on your left across from a restaurant. |
| Total Hike Distance: | 3.50 miles |
| Hike Difficulty: | Moderate |
| Permit Required: | No |
| Hike Type: | Roundtrip, Loop Hike |
| Hike Starts/Ends: | Down from parking area on Canal path |
| Trails Used: | This trail is used quite frequently by families. So if kids annoy you this hike may not be for you, but it is fun none the less. A lot less people during the week and early on weekends. |
| Backcountry Campsites: | No |
| Backcountry Water Sources: | Rivers |
| Management: | State Park Service |
| Contact Information: | Unknown |
| Best Season: | Spring, Summer, Fall |
| Users: | Hikers |
| Road Conditions: | Primary Paved Roads, Maintained Gravel or Dirt Roads |
| Hike Summary: | This little trail right outside Washington D.C. is a great little getaway. You start out on the Canal path but turn off on to a well beaten path that is the beggining of the trail. Traveling over the occassional mud puddle and lost of rocks, you wind your way fown to the Potomac River. Once down by the river the trail continues up the gorge along the edge of the river hopping along the rocky enbankment the majority of the way. This trail will require you to scramble in several places, but nothing that will be too hard. If my mother can do it, you shouldn't have that much difficulty. As the trail gets closer to Great Falls, it turns back toward the canal and then loops back to the parking area. There are great places to have a picnic lunch along the river on any one of numerous rock outcroppings. This is also a favorite destination of local kayakers and rock climbers, the former usually farther downstream and the latter across the river on the Virginia side of the Gorge. |
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