Maryland trails · Billy Goat Trail, Section A
Billy Goat Trail, Section A
A 3.4-mile loop in Maryland, with 62 ft of climbing. Reaches Overlook 1 and other viewpoint destinations. Managed by the National Park Service.
Elevation profile
The climbing leans toward the final third: 50% of the ascent falls between mile 2.3 and mile 3.4. It gives back about 222 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
3-D terrain
USGS 3DEP ELEVATION × ESRI WORLD IMAGERY · VERTICAL ×1.5
Reaches
- Overlook 1 (viewpoint)
- Overlook 2 (viewpoint)
Heads up
Daylight at the trailhead
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 6:09 a.m., the sun rises at 6:36 a.m. and sets at 7:41 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:08 p.m. (EDT) — 13 h 05 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 3.4-mile route takes roughly 1 h 18 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 7:54 a.m. — 11 h 46 min before sunset.
Loop options
- Billy Goat Trail, Section A — 6.6 mi loop, 520 ft gain
Nearby trails
- Potomac Heritage Trail — 8.1 mi
- Northwest Branch Trail — 13.0 mi
- Northern Peaks Trail — 21.4 mi
- Perimeter Trail — 27.1 mi