more stats
3,648 ft
Distance
26 ft
Climb
-25 ft
Descent
00:05:14
Avg time
0 ft
Altitude change
3,724 ft
Altitude min
3,740 ft
Altitude max
3,739 ft
Altitude start
3,740 ft
Altitude end
-0%
Grade
-7%
Grade max
5.4%
Grade min
837 ft
Distance climb
840 ft
Distance down
1,886 ft
Distance flat
00:05:14
Avg time

Laughing Goats Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • E-Bike
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    Ancient Oaks
    Spearfish, South Dakota
  • Difficulty Rating
    Green Rate
  • Local Popularity
    65 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 5 in E-Biking
    • 90 in Trail Running
    • 5 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T1 Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Climb Difficulty
    Green
  • Physical Rating
    Easy
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
    Yes up to Class 3
  • Year Opened
    2020
  • Land Owner
    Spearfish Parks and Rec

Laughing Goats, previously known as the beginner loop, is an easy flowing trail off the Spearfish Recreation Path that offers a simple, low-stress way to get onto dirt without straying far from town. The trail rolls gently through ancient oaks with plenty of tight corners for skills practice, flat stretches for small kid legs, and fun, flowing turns, making it a great choice for new riders, families, and runners. Named after the famous Spearfish Canyon mountain goats, may the forest be filled with kids’ laughter—both human and goat.

Trail Supporters
Local Trail Association
Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 2 rides
  • 2 miles average
6 Months
  • 6 rides
  • 6 miles avg distance
All
  • 13 rides
  • Last: Jul 10, 2026
c1c2c3c4
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
update trails status or condition

Laughing Goats Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
May 22, 2025 @ 9:03am
May 22, 2025
May 21, 2025 @ 7:37am
May 21, 2025
 reporter Trails are wet from recent rain and snow. They should be rideable in a day or two.
more »
Status:
on May 22, 2025
no votes yet
Your vote: 0

view (284)
close
  • Basemap  Map 
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
    • Pro
3D
Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
Trail Flow (Ridden Direction)
Trailforks scans users ridelogs to determine the most popular direction each trail is ridden. A good flowing trail network will have most trails flowing in a single direction according to their intension.
The colour categories are based on what percentage of riders are riding a trail in its intended direction.
  • > 96%
  • > 90%
  • > 80%
  • > 70%
  • > 50%
  • < 50%
  • bi-directional trail
  • no data
Trail Last Ridden
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine the last time a trail was ridden.
  • < 2 days
  • < 1 week
  • < 2 weeks
  • < 1 month
  • < 6 months
  • > 6 months
Trail Ridden Direction
The intended direction a trail should be ridden.
  • Downhill Only
  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
Contribute Details
Colors indicate trail is missing specified detail.
  • Description
  • Photos
  • Description & Photos
  • Videos
Trail Popularity ?
Trailforks scans ridelogs to determine which trails are ridden the most in the last 9 months. Trails are compared with nearby trails in the same city region with a possible 25 colour shades. Think of this as a heatmap, more rides = more kinetic energy = warmer colors.
  • most popular
  • popular
  • less popular
  • not popular
ATV/ORV/OHV Filter
Max Vehicle Width
inches
US Cell Coverage
Legend
cell carrier legend

Radar Time
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Activity Recordings
Trailforks uses anonymized public activity data. ?
Personal Heatmap
▶ Activity Types
all / none
▶ Options
2
Date range month
–
Winter Trails
Warning A routing network for winter maps does not exist. Selecting trails using the winter trails layer has been disabled.
Missing Trails
Most Popular
Least Popular
Trails are colored based on popularity. The more popular a trail is, the more red. Less popular trails trend towards green.
Jump Magnitude Heatmap
Heatmap of where riders jump on trails. Zoom in to see individual jumps, click circles to view jump details.
BC Backroad Status

Service Road Atlas is a free to use, community-driven service for viewing and creating reports on the numerous back-country service roads around B.C. and Alberta.

map legend
Slope Aspect
Direction the slope faces
Flat N NE E SE S SW W NW
Trails Deemphasized
Trails are shown in grey.
disable
Only show trails with no bike usage.
Enable
Suggested Layers
Based on selected activity type

    Save the current map location and zoom level as your default home location whenever this page is loaded.

    Save
        Directions to laughing-goats trailhead (44.475710, -103.851570)

        Photos

        No photos have been added for Laughing Goats yet, add a photo.

        Videos

        no videos have been added for Laughing Goats yet, add a video.

        Technical Trail Features (TTF)

        Routes with this trail

        FUNdamentals
        2 miles • 151 ft • 2 • Loop •
        A great place to work on your skills, or bring someone new to mountain biking. This connected trail route...

        Reviews / Comments

        No reviews yet, be the first to write a review or ask a question.
        Use trail reports to comment on trail conditions.


        We hope you've been enjoying Trailforks!

        Create a FREE account to view trail comments and much more.

        Create a Free Account

        Nearby Trails

        Ancient Oaks

        Frequently Asked Questions About Beginners Loop

        ▼ Where is Beginners Loop located?
        Beginners Loop is located in Spearfish Lunch Loops, Spearfish, South Dakota, United States. It is part of the Spearfish Lunch Loops trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 44.4757, -103.85156.
        ▼ How hard is Beginners Loop?
        Beginners Loop is rated as Green difficulty.
        ▼ What is the elevation gain for Beginners Loop?
        Beginners Loop has 26 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 25 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 3,724 ft to 3,740 ft.
        ▼ How long is Beginners Loop?
        Beginners Loop is 3,648 ft long. The trail type is singletrack.

        Hit the Trail

        Open in App

        Get this trail on your phone instantly.
        open trail in app

        Download Trail

        Save to wishlist, Garmin & download.
        save the trail

        Find Related Routes

        Find routes and users activities that include this trail.
        find routes for this trail

        You must enter a description before submitting.