Dryopteris goldiana fronds are pinnate-pinnatifid to bi-pinnate, 35-120 cm long and 15-40 cm wide. The petiole is about 1/3 of the length of the frond and is conspicuously scaly, the broad scales dark colored with a lighter border. The lower pinnae are usually conspicuously narrowed at the base. The blade is not glandular.

D. goldiana ranges across the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada, south to Alabama and west to Missouri and Minnesota. It is found in scattered locations throughout Wisconsin, but seems to be generally uncommon. Habitat includes moist forests and steep slopes, often near rocks or less commonly on them.