Black Goat
- 1.8 mi
- round trip
- 75 ft
- climb
- 7,577 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 30 min ago
Is Black Goat open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in San Juan National Forest. It doesn't name Black Goat, so check the source for the area it covers (3 listed).
Travel is not advised to the San Juan NF
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Closures and dangerous conditions on roads, bridges, and trails from flooding
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Multiple roads and trails damaged by flooding on SJNF
Agency closure covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
Bear Activity High Across San Juan National Forest
Agency alert covering San Juan National Forest · USFS · San Juan National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · San Juan National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Black Goat is an easy hike of about 1.8 miles on a natural-surface trail in the Mancos/Dolores Ranger District of the San Juan National Forest in Colorado. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is rated easy with a one-way climb of about 75 feet, from a low point of roughly 7,500 feet to a high of about 7,577 feet. The trail is open to both horses and bikes, so it works for riders and pack animals as well as hikers. For comfortable weather, aim for late spring or early fall. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run to highs around 69°F in May and 75°F in September, with July the warmest month at about 86°F. Boggy and Maverick are both hikes about a mile away. The Dolores Boulders climbing area is about 2.5 miles off, and House Creek campground is about 2.7 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Sundance RV Park12 mi away
- HTR Resorts33 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct
Best time to visit Black Goat
Best months: April–June and August–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
40° / 17°
Feb
42° / 19°
Mar
51° / 27°
Apr
60° / 33°
May
69° / 40°
Jun
81° / 50°
Jul
86° / 55°
Aug
83° / 55°
Sep
75° / 47°
Oct
63° / 36°
Nov
50° / 26°
Dec
40° / 18°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Yellow Jacket 4ne, CO, 10.5 mi away at 7,090 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: GSEC, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Mcphee Overlook
~6 min drive
17.20-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 763 ft elevation gain.
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String Bean
~3 min drive
8.07-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 93 ft of elevation gain.
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Mcneil East Trail
~6 min drive
5.74-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 942 ft elevation gain.
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Boggy
~2 min drive
8.52-mile loop trail in Colorado with 212 ft elevation gain
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Dolores River Trail
~5 min drive
1.8-mile out-and-back trail along the Dolores River in Colorado.
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Mcneil West
~6 min drive
4.48-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado managed by San Juan National Forest.
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Maverick
~2 min drive
10.58-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 170 ft elevation gain.
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Speedy's Loop
~5 min drive
2.7-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado with 232 ft elevation gain
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Boggy Upper Loop Trail
~10 min drive
6.12-mile out-and-back hike in Colorado with 875 ft elevation gain.
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Little Bean Canyon
~2 min drive
23.69-mile out-and-back trail in Colorado's San Juan National Forest with 692 ft gain.
