Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls Park

[Anonymous]

Which section of Billy Goat trail is most interesting/scenic?

[Anonymous]

Billy Goat A is the most challenging/interesting.

[Anonymous]

Billy Goat B is closed right now, just FYI.

Between A and C, A is by far the most scenic. However, it's more challenging and you should not go unless you are prepared with proper footwear and you have the necessary physical skills (lots of scrambling over huge rocks). Remember to bring gloves for the scrambling, regardless of temperature.

[Anonymous]

Challenging. I'm not sure which part I found MOST challenging, but it was all pretty darn challenging. It's not like a hike in the woods. It's got some places where you are not gonna move forward unless you climb up 30 feet of jumbled together rocks. And then another such scenario, a little further down the line. Take lots of water.

[Anonymous]

DP - can one do both A and C? Is that a good idea?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Challenging. I'm not sure which part I found MOST challenging, but it was all pretty darn challenging. It's not like a hike in the woods. It's got some places where you are not gonna move forward unless you climb up 30 feet of jumbled together rocks. And then another such scenario, a little further down the line. Take lots of water.

There is one very sheer face of rock that requires some guts to attempt to climb. I did it when younger many times with little thought. In my 40s I was less confidant. My kids scaled up it like true billy goats in 30 seconds while I gripped it with terror for the 2 minutes it took me to get up.

My arms were sore the next day from jumping and bracing with a hand on rocks. It is more "rock bouldering" than "hike".

It's lots of fun though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP - can one do both A and C? Is that a good idea?

You can, but it would require a walk down the tow path to get from the end of C to the start of A (or vice versa). I'd start with A and then decide if you've had enough or not. The walk back along the tow path can be boring (if there are children with you) just FYI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP - can one do both A and C? Is that a good idea?

How far do you want to hike? There's a two mile stretch of tow path in between that you would have to do each way. Billy Goat A, B, and C are the trails by the river from left to right on the map.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all. It sounds like A is most interesting. If I get to the challenging part and can’t climb it and turn around, will it still have been an interesting/beautiful hike?

[Anonymous]

NP.

You need to be really, REALLY fit for this OP. Do you run x-umber of miles weekly?

The U.S. Park system rescues dozens of people off the Billy Goat trail every year; most of them are not at all fit, and naively think “oh, it’s just another hiking trail.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP.

You need to be really, REALLY fit for this OP. Do you run x-umber of miles weekly?

The U.S. Park system rescues dozens of people off the Billy Goat trail every year; most of them are not at all fit, and naively think “oh, it’s just another hiking trail.”

It isn’t just a stroll in the woods but I have done it while not being super fit. Yes, you can just turn around if you don’t want to scale the Angle. It’s a good hike either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP - can one do both A and C? Is that a good idea?

You can, but it would require a walk down the tow path to get from the end of C to the start of A (or vice versa). I'd start with A and then decide if you've had enough or not. The walk back along the tow path can be boring (if there are children with you) just FYI.

Thanks - it would likely just be my sister and me, and possibly my husband and her BF. We all exercise regularly - I run half marathons with my sister, etc. So I guess we could do A and C, in terms of distance, if we wanted to. I have 3 kids, but was thinking adults only for Billy Goat.

[Anonymous]

How old are the kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP - can one do both A and C? Is that a good idea?

You can, but it would require a walk down the tow path to get from the end of C to the start of A (or vice versa). I'd start with A and then decide if you've had enough or not. The walk back along the tow path can be boring (if there are children with you) just FYI.

Thanks - it would likely just be my sister and me, and possibly my husband and her BF. We all exercise regularly - I run half marathons with my sister, etc. So I guess we could do A and C, in terms of distance, if we wanted to. I have 3 kids, but was thinking adults only for Billy Goat.

Sound plan.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t take grandma on billy goat A but it isn’t that difficult. We took our kids when they were maybe 6 years old and they loved it but I was scared they would fall. The rock scramble parts near the start are often harder than the actual large rock part near the end. You can always turn back if it gets too hard.