Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park · Montgomery County, MD

Great Falls MD — Billy Goat Trail A

The technical scramble along Bear Island — 1.7 miles of class-2/3 rock scrambling along the Potomac, returning on the flat towpath. Park at Great Falls Tavern ($20/vehicle, 7-day pass; America the Beautiful pass accepted).

Live · updated Apr 27, 1:32 AM ET

Today

Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.

Scored for hiking

20 /100

Skip

Trail: prime AQI 33

Closures: Detours; Towpath; Points of Interest

Multiple items are closed due to hazardous conditions or maintenance. See below for more details.

Details from the park agency →

Unknown Test Message

Conditions

Air temp

45°F

Clear

Wind

2 to 7 mph

Rain

Last 48h: 0.00″

Trail

prime

rocky surface

Sunset

7:57 PM

1105 min daylight left

Moon

Waxing Gibbous

77% illuminated

Air quality

AQI 33

O3 · Good

Score by activity

Hiking

Ideal 48–75°F

20/100

Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.

Score breakdown

· 45°F air — Within comfort range, outside ideal
✓ AQI 33 — Clean air
✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.

Trail facts

Distance: 4.7 mi round-trip
Elevation gain: 530 ft
Surface: rocky
Difficulty: hard
Typical crowds: very heavy
Dogs: No dogs

Trailhead

Parking

Trailhead lot · day-use fee. 8 AM on weekends — lot fills; overflow at Old Anglers Inn.

Facilities

Bathrooms , drinking water. $20/vehicle 7-day pass at Great Falls Tavern; ATB pass accepted.

Coordinates

38.9979, -77.2479 — Montgomery County, MD.

Park

Part of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (official site →).

Notes

Billy Goat A is not dog-friendly; B and C are. Not suitable for small children.

Park advisories

DC Water Sewer Overflow

DC Water is managing a sanitary sewer overflow from the Potomac Interceptor near Lock 10. Anyone with questions or in need of support can reach out to DC Water’s 24-Hour Command Center at (202) 612-3400 or visit https://www.dcwater.com/about-dc-water/media/potomac-interceptor-collapse.

Equestrian Traffic Temporarily Prohibited - Mile 124.5 to 155

Horses are prohibited between Little Tonoloway (mile 124.5) and Paw Paw (mile 155) due to recent and ongoing towpath resurfacing. See more for details.

Hiking in Gold Mine Tract

Visitors are restricted to the designated trails within the Gold Mine Tract in the Great Falls area. This location is generally defined as that area bordered by MacArthur Boulevard and Berma Road and depicted on the Great Falls Maryland Hiking Map.