Sugarloaf Mountain

The Appalachian Trail in Maine is generally considered the most difficult of all the fourteen states that the A.T. traverses. The Maine portion covers about 282 miles and offers hikers rugged terrain, stunning wilderness, and remote beauty. In some sections, don’t expect to hike more than a mile an hour and get used to steep ascents and descents. Slippery and sometimes hazardous weather can occur at any time, and the terrain is often remote to say the least.

This hike starts at the top of the quad at the Sugarloaf Ski Resort. On weekends during the summer, you can take it near the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Otherwise, you’ll have to hike to the ridgeline – which ads another 2-3 miles to this route.  We did a hike from the top of the quad to the summit of Sugarloaf which has outstanding views in all directions. From here we took the blue-blazed side trail down for 0.6 miles to the Appalachian Trail. It’s hard to find among the cell towers and rocky summit – so watch the blazes carefully.  From the Sugarloaf Summit, we descended to Caribou Valley Road – sometimes very steeply. A hiking stick is recommended for this as is a camera. The forest eventually opens up in the last mile for views to the Crocker Mountains which are North on the Appalachian Trail.  This is a shuttle hike, so you’ll need someone to pick you up or drop you off at Caribou Valley Road. The dirt road is located one mile from the turn-off to the ski resort – then follow it for about 15 minutes until it dead ends at a creek.