3 Billy Goats

A few weeks ago, we were out and someone brought up the Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls. Well, I had never been there, so timfred suggested we do a Saturday morning hike. In typical fashion, there was little planning besides a Friday night call where we agreed to meet at 8 am off of MacArthur Blvd past Falls Road.

The next morning, I printed off two sets of directions to the "Billy Goat Trail" and we were off! On our way there, we passed several dozen cyclists on Clara Barton Parkway and MacArthur Blvd. Seems to be a very popular place to ride on the weekend. There are lots of giant hills though. You have been warned!

We pull into an entrance by the Old Anglers Inn. Some confusion follows...I call timfred to verify the meeting point...jokingly blame Jen for the miscommunication...get a physical beating from Jen...finally end up meeting by the visitor's center. By the way, I recommend parking by the Old Anglers Inn if you get there early enough (around 8 am on Saturday). It's close enough to the trail head and it's free! Try this link for a good description and driving directions.

Anyway, a good time was had by all. Section A of the trail has a lot of rock scrambles and great views of the river. Section B is much more flat. Check out some of the highlights:


Water levels were pretty low today


The Potomac


Lover's Rock


We must have seen at least 30 turtles!


Spent way too much time trying to photograph dragonflies


Very regal looking bird that posed along the C&O Canal

Also spotted were deer, frogs, and snakes. Check out the rest of the set on flickr. Great idea, timfred!