Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Sugarloaf Mountain

    4.4 (119 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Sugarloaf Mountain Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Sugarloaf Mountain

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Cyril M.

    Beautiful fall Foliage, some of the trails can be really hard to trek. But we made it. Always bring lots of water and snacks to restore all your energy. Some trails are sooooo long. We got a little lost since we couldn't decide which trail but we were there for 5 hours. It was a long time before we made it out. Good thing we were there around 10 ish in the am. It was a good hike, hopefully it will stay open. Since the issue with the Frederick county /stronghold is on going. So we will see.

    The summit
    Sara P.

    Parking was is VERY limited, but I guess that is what makes this place so great, very little people! Beautiful trails up to the top. Bring water and snacks (but please pack out your trash!!). Took the paved road down, and so happy we did. Feeling it today for sure! Lol 2 hours up (with small dog, lots of breaks), one hour down.

    Daniel R.

    This was not a particularly pleasant hiking experience. The signage is extremely limited both for drivers looking for parking and for hikers looking for trails. The trails are maintained pretty well with a few spots where it appears they just... completely stop? And the views at the summits are fine but not spectacular. I would encourage you to take a little extra time and drive to Harpers Ferry instead.

    Linda O.

    Such a pristine spot. The trails are clearly marked. The hiking here is mostly for beginner to intermediate levels, although there's one steep trail (red). What I like most about Sugarloaf Mountain is that getting to the top of it doesn't take forever. It's a lovely view when you do summit. This isn't for extreme climbers; rather a place for everyone. Picnic tables are available at various locations. I recommend parking in West View parking lot, the one that's highest up. I find it to be quite peaceful here. Wonderful way to spend a day or half day.

    Jeni S.

    The views and ambience are five star - especially during the autumn with the abundance of colors. Picnic areas. Hiking trails. And more. One star off (almost took more off) cause the speed bump to enter and the spiked hump to leave the mountain -- they are way way way high - and they tore the heck out of my wheelchair accessible van.

    SuJin C.

    Sugarloaf Mountain is one of my favorite hiking places, and you can enjoy a glass of wine afterwards down the road The Sunrise Trail (orange) is the steepest rocky trail among the three trails that leads to the top; it's my favorite one to go up. It takes about 15 minutes. I would not come down on this trail, especially if you have little ones. The Monadnock Trail (red) has many stairs, so also good to go up. I like to come down on the A.M. Thomas Trail (green). I also enjoy Mountain Loop Trail (white). Looking forward to the next visit for Northern Peaks Trial (blue). :)

    Deanna C.

    The drive on the way up was a little nerve-racking but there was a lot of parking when we reached the top. My group took the intermediate trail up and it had lots of stairs with a good slope incline. Once you get to the top, there are spectacular views.

    The view from the summit
    Larissa J.

    Looking for an outdoor adventure? Look no further...I think we took the green trail which included over 100 steps to get the peak and it was worth it! I am not sure how busy it gets on the weekends so I would suggest getting there earlier rather than later. There were tons of kids on the trail and families having little "snacky hours" at the top so be prepared for that! It is a kid friendly and pet friendly trail but if you're looking for something more romantic, this may not be the place...

    Hursuong V.

    I did an 8 mile hike here by combining the blue loop with white loop. This was a well maintained and well marked park with different loops of various lengths. There is a summit that is less than 1 mile up from the parking lot, but I missed that and instead did my loop route. There is a White Rocks overlook that I stopped at on the Blue Loop which I hear is similar in views to the actual summit so that sufficed for me. The rest of the hike though was very much the same scenery (trees, rocks, and flowers) without many views. Very shady (perfect for hot days) but also very rocky (nearly twisted my ankle a few times). Can spot an occasional deer, vulture-looking birds, snake... The hike varies from easy, flat stretches to some more rocky, steep sections. Some parts have more people than others (where people join from other loops or parking lots), but deeper into the blue loop there are less. My biggest qualm is that after driving 1.5 hours to get to Sugarloaf, we then had to spend 30 minutes circling for parking (this was around 1pm on a Sunday). I believe we arrived to the East View Parking Lot which had very few spots to begin with (around 5) and there were staff there angrily telling arriving cars to leave. When we tried to ask them for other ideas on where to park, they did not even respond and continued yelling at us to keep driving. A bunch of cars eventually started parking along a pocket in the road that was not private property (there are two mansions here), so we followed suit only to see later that the staff then let in a bunch of cars to other parking lots located in the mountain. Overall, scenic but summit/views were not as great as I thought it would be. Parking can be a bad experience. Tip: there are portable restrooms at the start of the trails. There is also a winery a few minutes from the entrance.

    Meili L.

    #Sayyestonature I'm so glad I came to do the hike on a weekday! Easy in finding parking and only saw like 5 groups of people during the whole hike. We did the blue trail with total of around 7 miles. The closest parking lot would be west view lot. It's definitely social distance approved activity and if you are comfortable, you can almost do the whole trail without a mask!

    Eun P.

    We definitely have to come back as we didn't realize the green trail leads to the top! I only realized this by reading the other reviews here haha. But we still had a great time walking around and enjoying nature, but we didn't get to see much views other than trees. I think we got a bit lost at the end and ended up at the Potomac view parking lot which had a pretty view! We parked in the west view parking lot and walked over to the east and started on the blue trail, then came down the yellow, then blue, then blue & white (see the trail map I highlighted). According to my Apple Watch it took us about 2.5 hours with a total of almost 6 miles.

    Tabetha P.

    Love this place, especially in the fall! Nice clean park and perfect for dogs. Plenty of parking once you get towards the top of the mountain

    So amazing that this pastoral beauty is just an hour or so from downtown DC!
    Cristina D.

    This was a convenient and pleasant day trip with good proximity to DC. Pros: Dog friendly: The pups loved this hike! I kept my pups on leash because they are a bit disobedient but I saw several pups off leash :) Easy hike: Not a super challenging hike but still a good little workout. If you're into cross- country running, I bet you could run the Sugarloaf Mountain and Northern Peaks Trail pretty easily. I took this trail and it was just under 6 miles, one-way, from start to finish. Trails: Easily defined trails, very clear and pretty well-marked. Pretty farmland: The earlier stages of the trail are situated in beautiful farmland, filled with lambs and cows happily grazing and roaming Not too busy: I've seen other reviews of this mountain saying that the Sugarloaf Mountain and Northern Peaks Trail is really busy, but I personally encountered only a couple of people on the whole hike. Cons: Views: No breathtaking views from the top, however I bet that in the fall, this would be a bit more impressive of a view with all the foliage (full disclosure, I went in early spring when there weren't too many leaves on trees yet). Not a super high peak, though if you're looking for a little easier of a hike, this might be a pro, rather than a con! Muddy: Not really a huge deal, but if it has rained anytime around when you plan to hike, expect the trails to be quite wet and muddy, with big puddles

    See all

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mike R.
    77
    1867
    13466

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Great place for a short hike with an amazing view we usually go up one way and down a different way so we get to see more of it!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ingrid M.
    159
    11
    7

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 16
    Thanks 0
    Love this 11
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ruth C.
    3296
    2437
    10196

    15 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sara C.
    52
    13
    3

    3 years ago

    Always a good hike! Multiple different start points depending on the time you have and pretty views at the top!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jim U.
    688
    1303
    3045

    14 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Sugarloaf Mountain Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sugarloaf Mountain

    Are there parking lot gates that are closed off during the off hours? What's the earliest one can start hiking up the mountain? Yelp says opens at 7am, but another site said 8am.

    When I went, there were about 4 parking spaces where you could park outside the gate.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Sugarloaf Mountain

    I took my 80lbs goldendoodle there and took the orange trail up to a viewpoint.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Hiking 1,260 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Hollow Brook Trail - Huge parking area. Thank you!

    Hollow Brook Trail

    (12 reviews)

    A great day for a hike on the A.T. This one is just o/s Fauquier County on Mt Weather. I took the…read moreSOBO trail a couple years ago. This time I went North to the waterfall. Let me give some mad respect to whomever dug out the spot to put in a rather large parking area for us! For years we've been on side of this narrow dirt road. * Thank. (Virtual fist pump). This was 3 miles out and 3 miles back. The waterfall is around 1 mile mark. It's off to the right. *please understand, ricks are slippery whether they're wet ot not. How someone brings three toddlers here with no backpack, water or first aid is beyond me. I had to leave the area. But it was really nice. Very relaxing and you did have to hand/foot climb to get up there. Be careful please. I double backed and got on the A.T. Couple more miles to the secret cliff I saw in another Yelp post. :) . Lots of people walked by, no one knew I was there. I had it all to myself. Its better than the actual lookout. Anyway. I scanned the rocks for danger, shot some pics and sat down for water and dry crackers. I look over and there are 2 snakes curled up by a small tree about 6 feet from me. I spoke to them. "Thought you'd hide from me. I got you!" It was funny. I took a couple pics and kept my eyes on them. Only takes a second to lose track and they end up right at me saying, "HA got you back!" I sat a while then headed back down. I enjoyed it! I'd like to section hike and have a car waiting to take me back to my own car where I started. They should have an Uber Hikes App available for that. ;) This way I can hike for as far as I want without turning around to come straight back.

    Short trail, pretty and cool, but the waterfall wasn't what I expected. The trail was well kept,…read moreand trimmed back, some areas were steep, and can be slick if it rains.

    Sugarloaf Mountain - hiking - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...