Appalachian Trail #4 (Sugarloaf Mountain to Caribou Valley Road)

The 282 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maine is generally considered the most difficult of the fourteen states that the A.T. traverses. While the elevations seldom top 4,000 feet , the terrain is often difficult and there are frequent rock scrambles through very rugged terrain.  Even the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) does not recommend the Maine A.T. for novice hikers.  There are limited bridges in the State due to the spring snowmelt and the streams on the trail require frequent fording.  Slippery and sometimes hazardous weather can occur at any time, and the Maine A.T. is frequently remote to say the least.  In some sections, don’t expect to hike more than a mile an hour and get used to steep ascents and descents.  That said – the Maine A.T. has some of the most stunning and remote wilderness on the entire trail.  It is often cited as a favorite State for many A.T. thru-hikers.   

This short section picks up a piece of the Appalachian Trail between the Sugarloaf Mountain side trail and Caribou Valley Road.  It is most easily accessed in the summer from the top of the Sugarloaf Ski Resort quad chair – where you can hike to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain and then take a 0.6 mile blue-blazed trail down to junction with the A.T.  This route is 3.4 miles and longer than the 2.3 mile section but offers outstanding views in all directions from the summit.  The blue-blazed trail can be hard to find among the cell towers and rocks at Sugarloaf Mountain – so watch the blazes carefully.  After the blue-blazed trail junctions with the white-blazed A.T., we hiked northbound on the Appalachian Trail and descended to Caribou Valley Road – sometimes very steeply.  A hiking stick is recommended for this section as is a camera since the forest eventually opens up with views to the Crocker Mountains located to the north.  This is a shuttle hike, so you’ll need someone to pick you up at Caribou Valley Road – which is located one mile from the turn-off to the ski resort.  Then follow the dirt Caribou Valley Road road for about 15 minutes until it dead ends at a creek and the A.T.