Billy Goat Trail
The Billy Goat Trail is a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) hiking trail that follows a path between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park near the Great Falls. Potomac is where it stands. Our list goes on with White House, 13 mi away.
A park & preserve inside Potomac
You can stay in Potomac
Billy Goat Trail is inside Potomac, which has 6 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Baltimore
Baltimore is about 40 miles northeast (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 66–82°. When to go ↓
An airport 12 miles away
Washington Dulles (IAD) has airline service, about 12 miles from Billy Goat Trail.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Each month’s highs and lows around Billy Goat Trail are below.
Billy Goat Trail
The Billy Goat Trail is a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) hiking trail that follows a path between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park near the Great Falls in Montgomery County, Maryland. The trail has three sections: Section A, the northernmost, is 1.7 miles (2.7 km); Section B is 1.4 miles (2.3 km); and Section C, the southernmost, is 1.6 miles (2.6 km)
- Type
- Park & preserve
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.9K a year
Bases for Billy Goat Trail
The closest lodging is in Potomac (6) and Washington (247).
- 1White House
- 2Washington Monument
- 3Arlington National Cemetery
- 4United States Triumphal Arch
- 5Smithsonian Institution
- 6Lincoln Memorial
- 7Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- 8Ford's Theatre
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Billy Goat Trail | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potomac | in town | — | 6 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 campgrounds | 45,902 | $1,157K | — |
| Washington | 14 mi southeast | 20 min | 247 201 hotels · 2 motels · 24 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 12 hostels · 2 campgrounds | 693,645 | $737K | D− |
| Arlington | 11 mi southeast | 15 min | 58 54 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 236,254 | $895K | — |
| Tysons | 5 mi south | 10 min | 25 25 hotels | 28,936 | $640K | — |
| Bethesda | 7 mi east | 10 min | 26 23 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins | 69,397 | $1,170K | — |
| Alexandria | 15 mi southeast | 20 min | 44 41 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 160,662 | $735K | C |
| North Bethesda | 7 mi northeast | 10 min | 13 13 hotels | 49,677 | $732K | — |
| Rockville | 8 mi northeast | 10 min | 13 12 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 67,563 | $682K | B− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Places to add to Billy Goat Trail
More places people know lie within 14 miles.
Big draw113 mi National park siteWhite House311K visitors a year
Big draw213 mi National MemorialWashington Monument204K visitors a year
Big draw312 mi LandmarkArlington National Cemetery
Big draw412 mi LandmarkUnited States Triumphal Arch
Big draw514 mi MuseumSmithsonian Institution30.0M visitors a year
Big draw613 mi National MemorialLincoln Memorial7.7M visitors a year
Big draw712 mi LandmarkTomb of the Unknown Soldier
Big draw814 mi National Historic SiteFord's Theatre National Historic Site394K visitors a yearPhoto credits
White House: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade. To see his entire port, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington Monument: Oren Rozen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Arlington National Cemetery: Protoant, Public domain · United States Triumphal Arch: Hstoops, CC0 · Smithsonian Institution: Highsmith, Carol M., 1946-, photographer, Public domain · Lincoln Memorial: Aerial_view_of_Lincoln_Memorial_-_east_side.jpg: Carol M. Highsmith derivative w, Public domain · Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain · Ford's Theatre National Historic Site: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0
A visit to Billy Goat Trail: questions
Is Billy Goat Trail in Potomac?
Yes. It’s inside Potomac, MD.
When is the best time to visit Billy Goat Trail?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 66–82°.
How far is Billy Goat Trail from Baltimore?
About 40 miles northeast of Baltimore, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Billy Goat Trail?
Washington Dulles (IAD), about 12 miles away.
Where should I stay near Billy Goat Trail?
Washington (14 mi, 247 places to stay), Arlington (11 mi, 58 places to stay) and Tysons (5 mi, 25 places to stay).
What locals in Potomac say
People in Potomac have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.