Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls Park

[Anonymous]

I'm in average shape, 40-something and we just did A to the turn-off. I'd also recommend hiking shoes/boots.

[Anonymous]

It takes us about 3 hours to do the billy goat trail with the rock scramble. We did it since our kids were 5 or 6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I’m scared of heights, but didn’t find the rock scramble that terrifying or hard- it’s actually fun. The only time I had any issues on Billy Goat trail is hiking it once in the winter, when it was iced over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yes! I know that rock, we call it the "wall". I'm fine climbing it up but can't down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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?

Billie Goat A is technically a one way route. see map above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

Billie Goat A is technically a one way route. see map above.

Don’t try to do the steep part called ‘the traverse’ in reverse. It is dangerous to have people climbing it from two directions at the same time.

There is a midpoint from which you can exit or enter the trail. If you want to include the traverse, enter at the point closest to the great falls car park (or furthest from anglers inn) and then exit at the midpoint. We usually park at anglers inn and walk along the canal to start at the midpoint then finish closer to where our car is parked.