Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park · MD
Billy Goat Trail Section B
Live · updated
Today
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Today's best: hiking
Multiple items are closed due to hazardous conditions or maintenance. See below for more details.
Conditions
Score by activity
Hiking
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Trail running
Park closure — trail is inaccessible today.
Score breakdown
- · 79°F air — Within comfort range, outside ideal
- ✓ Trail: prime — No meaningful rain in the last 48 hours. Trail surface is dry and tacky — prime traction.
- − NWS alert active — Check the alert before heading out
- − 42 min of daylight — You need at least 76 min with margin. Bring a headlamp or start tomorrow.
Trail facts
- Distance
- 1.44 mi
- Elevation gain
- 84 ft
- Surface
- dirt
- Difficulty
- moderate
Trailhead
Coordinates
38.9756, -77.2205 — MD.
Park
Part of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (official site →).
Park advisories
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.
More from Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park →
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.
More from Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park →
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.
More from Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park →
Peak nymphal tick activity — check yourself within 2 hours of leaving the trail.
Nearby Trails
Frequently Asked
How long is Billy Goat Trail Section B?
Billy Goat Trail Section B is a 1.44-mile route with 84 feet of elevation gain — moderate — some sustained climbing or technical sections; expect to work for it but no specialized skills required. The trail facts panel on this page lists distance, surface, and access tags as they appear in OpenStreetMap.
What's the trail surface like at Billy Goat Trail Section B?
Billy Goat Trail Section B is natural dirt singletrack — soft underfoot, holds water, slow to dry after rain. Today's mud rating, derived from recent precipitation and the surface type, is shown in the conditions panel above.
Who manages Billy Goat Trail Section B, and where do closure alerts come from?
Billy Goat Trail Section B is in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, which is managed by the National Park Service. Closure and advisory data on this page comes from the live NPS alerts API for this park unit. Always confirm against the park's own page before driving — emergency closures can post faster than scrapers refresh.