Sugarloaf Mountain

The walking it relatively easy here and generally well sign posted apart from at the top where the red trail can be confused with the orange trail.

The number of trails mean you can customise your time on the hill.

Let's be clear that this is a hill and not a mountain.

Sugarloaf mountain used to be the place we visit for practice hiking . we always hike from main entrance to the top. Recant years, our visits are wasted due to parking issue. Yesterday included, we could not find parking at main entrance. the extended area side we used to park has tow away zone. Seems someone is very greedy and rude and don't want people to enjoy.

I hiked from the based, but you can drive almost all the way to the top and just do the summit if you'd like. Utilize the maps from the website for the best layout. The trails are well marked, and in excellent condition.

Sugarloaf Mountain has some nice trails, but they don't compare favorably to the waterfalls and high peaks of Shenandoah NP or the rock scrambles beside the Potomac at Great Falls. Instead, the trails are mostly through a densely-wooded mountain with few overlooks or anything else very scenic. The trail itself is moderate - while there are a few steep uphill stretches, they are mostly short and the total elevation change is only a few hundred feet as the trailheads are mostly near the peak of the Mountain. One advantage of Sugarloaf, however, is that it did seem significantly less crowded than Great Falls and Shenandoah.

A 1282 foot small mountain that is privately owned by the Strong family trust. Admission free with several hiking paths to choose from with different degrees of difficulty. Going there on a weekday, we did not encounter any crowds on the paths. If you like hiking/walking, it's worth the trip. Bring a bottle of water. Wikipedia has trail maps to view/print.

This is private park, but the great thing about it is it's free. You can drive up almost to the summit and see wonderful views of upper Montgomery and Frederick Counties. There several trail of varying length and difficulty. The view from the top is spectacular, especially on a clear day. Just to let you know the gates close at dusk, so you'll want to be down before then. This is one of my favorite go to places, especially in the fall and spring. Enjoy the scenery!

First off, I need to state that I am a bit jaded in the scenery department so take what I say with a grain of salt. After living in Colorado, it is hard to compete with that type scenery. Four of us decided to take a nice day hike and check out Sugarloaf. It is a pretty and bucolic drive out to the mountain. We started the hike at nearly the top of the mountain and that was by far the most challenging part of the trail. Afterwards, there were several other hills to climb up and down and it turned out to be a fun exercise-hike. We did the blue trail and that was somewhere around 7 or so miles. The scenery is very pretty and the park was not crowded. All in all a very good time. I would recommend it. If you are looking for more extreme views and more challenging hikes, this place is not for you. We, however, were looking for exactly what we got and were quite happy with it.

My wife and I have been hiking here for years. Although it's always busy on weekends, everyone you encounter seems happy to be here. And you can have as much or as little privacy as you want, depending on the trail you choose. The Yellow trail, which is also used for horse-riding, is the most private, we've found. The Blue is the busiest, because it heads out to scenic overlooks. Best of all is the variety of experiences. You can rock climb on the red trail. You can take a short walk, or a long hike, depending on your mood that day and your choice of trail. Great place.

Sugarloaf Mountain is a favorite of local hikers and families in search of an easy, yet rewarding climb. 30 minutes North on 270 from the Beltway, it's close for all in NoVA, DC, and MD. There's a trail for all levels here--- 3 summit hikes (parking lot to top) and 4 circuit hikes available for horse, bike, or hike. Trails range from 1/4 mile to 5 mile!

My favorite hike thus far is the orange trail, or "Sunrise Trail"-- a direct, steep, 1/4 mile climb to the summit. It gets the blood pumping and gives outstanding views all the way to the top. Great place to be to watch birds and local wildlife up close!

Couple of things to know: 1) There are no trash cans on the trail. Bring a grocery bag and take your trash with you! Wouldn't hurt to take any litter you find with you, too :) 2) Although it's a well-maintained trail, there is still poison ivy around-- watch your kids. 3) There are toilet facilities here, but not much in the way of water. Strongly recommend bringing water with you!

Bottom line: If you need a get away from life but don't have much time, go for one of the summit hikes. If you're looking for more of a "Morning out", pick a circuit hike. Strongly recommend if you're in the area!

I have 2 girlswho need to get outdoors! They enjoyed the hike up the mountain and taking in the view. They got off the path and enjoyed climbing on some of the rocks..not dangerous of course! Good way to enjoy a first warm day after the winter months.