Sugarloaf Mountain Maine

Sugarloaf Mountain is only a half mile off the Appalachian Trail but the amount of effort to get up Sugarloaf with a full pack is significant. The steep half mile side trail is just more uphill that most hikers at this point of the trip are happy to skip. But Sugarloaf is the second highest mountain in Maine and home to hone of the largest ski resorts in Maine. The prominent summit has great views and the gondola ski patrol building at the summit is available for overnight shelter.

Summit Elevation: 4,238 feet
Prominence: 3,166 feet
Distance off AT: 0.5 miles
Elevation Gain off AT: 750 feet

Given the weather, there was no doubt I would be camping on the summit. Having woken up on the summit of Saddleback Mountain that morning, and Bemis before that, this is what kind of hiking I enjoyed. Big views each night.

While on the spur trail to the summit, I ran into 2 other thru-hikers looking to camp on the summit. They were hiking the AT southbound. We met at the spring on the spur trail, the water source if you will be camping on the summit. While they filled up, I continued my ascent reaching the top to scout out a good camping spot. After they arrived, one of them decided to sleep in the ski shack while the other just did a bivi on the ski lift platform. We enjoyed a great evening watching the sunset and hoping the incoming weather would push out the smoke.

Ski shack open to hikers to sleep inside

Morning light with Mount Bigelow

In the morning looking toward Mount Abraham

View to the west with Saddleback Mountain in far distance (where I slept the night before).

Looking south to Spaulding Mountain and Mount Abraham

Camping near the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain

Looking east to Burnt Hill

Looking west to Crocker Mountain

Looking south from the highest point on Sugarloaf Mountain