Oreamnos americanus
High cliffs in the northern Rockies, Coast Range, and Alaska. A few introduced herds live farther south. Pointed split hoof with a rubbery pad, about 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
What does a mountain goat look like?
All white, with a beard and short black horns. Not a domestic goat.
What do mountain goat tracks look like?
More pointed than bighorn. The trail itself, a narrow shelf on a cliff, is as useful as the print.
- Pointed split hoof with a rubbery pad, about 2.5 to 3.5 inches
- Tracks on cliffs, snowfields, and goat trails cut into steep slopes
- White coat year-round
- Short black horns on both sexes
- Pellets in piles on ledges
What does mountain goat poop look like?
Oval pellets on ledges and at bedding scrapes. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
High cliffs in the northern Rockies, Coast Range, and Alaska. A few introduced herds live farther south. Typical places: field. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
What to do next
- Watch from a distance
- Do not handle droppings
- If the animal is injured or inside a building, call a local wildlife officer
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Bighorn sheep identification
- Elk identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
A pointed split hoof on a cliff trail or snowfield. The animal, if seen, is white.
How to tell a mountain goat from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Bighorn sheep. Squarer and blunter than a deer hoof. Brown sheep with a white rump patch.
- Elk. A heavy, rounded heart print. Tall tan body, dark neck on bulls, pale rump.
Mountain goat field marks
- Pointed split hoof with a rubbery pad, about 2.5 to 3.5 inches
- Tracks on cliffs, snowfields, and goat trails cut into steep slopes
- White coat year-round
- Short black horns on both sexes
Where the sign shows up
High cliffs in the northern Rockies, Coast Range, and Alaska. A few introduced herds live farther south. Typical places: field. Year-round where the species lives. Tracks show best in mud, sand, and snow.
More pointed than bighorn. The trail itself, a narrow shelf on a cliff, is as useful as the print. Oval pellets on ledges and at bedding scrapes.
Common questions
What do mountain goat tracks look like?
A pointed split hoof on a cliff trail or snowfield. The animal, if seen, is white.