Billy Goat Trail
Three C&O Canal-side sections offer very different hikes; famous Section A is a strenuous scramble above Mather Gorge, not a casual riverside stroll.
Artwork inspired by Grace Hartigan
Billy Goat Trail is not one uniform path. Its three sections leave the C&O Canal towpath and rejoin it downstream, with Section A providing the best-known rock scramble beside Mather Gorge. That 1.75-mile one-way section asks hikers to climb and traverse angled rock, sometimes with hands as well as feet. Sections B and C are less technical alternatives with their own river and woodland character.
Choose a section that matches your group, then check park conditions: high water can close Section A. For A, the park recommends traveling downstream to reduce congestion at narrow moves, and pets are prohibited. This map opens Great Falls Tavern access, where vehicle entry is charged; the towpath return makes the outing longer than the scramble alone.
- Section A
- 1.75 miles one-way
- Trail system
- Three sections
- Section A pets
- Not permitted
Quick guide
- Choose your section
- A is technical; B and C have different grades.
- Check river conditions
- Flooding can close the rock-scramble section.
Know before you go
- Read the NPS status
- Do not assume the river-edge route is open.
- Wear gripping shoes
- Smooth rock and awkward steps demand traction.
- Travel downstream on A
- The recommended direction eases narrow passages.
- Leave the river alone
- Currents and ledges make wading dangerous.
Good to know
Many injuries occur on Section A; carry water and allow time for slower hikers. The 1.75-mile distance is one-way and does not include towpath return.
Notice these
- Mather Gorge rock
- C&O Canal towpath
- Three route choices