Sugarloaf Mountain

Have a picnic at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, MD and then cool down with some ice cream at a local favorite.

Sugarloaf Mountain (Point B), Rocky Point Creamery (Point C)

THINGS TO DO:

1.  Drive to Sugarloaf Mountain (43 miles, 53 minutes)

• Hike to the overlook (there are various trails of various lengths/difficulty)
• Climb rocks on the way
• Eat a picnic at the overlook

2.  If time, go to Rocky Point Creamery before heading home (10 miles, 17 minutes)

• Buy freshly made ice cream

THINGS TO KNOW:

Most hiking locations have a variety of trails from which you chose, but a lot of them only have one way to reach the main attraction.  What is great about Sugarloaf Mountain is there are a variety of trails and several of them reach the summit.  It is great to be able to decide how much you want to challenge yourself and how much time you want to take to get to the top.  It’s also nice to have a different view on the way up than on the way down if you decide to do a loop like we did.  Our first time there, we were informed the Orange trail that begins by the East View Parking Lot is the shortest, but also the most difficult way to the top, and the Green trail that begins from the West View Parking lot was slightly longer and easier.  We chose to park at the West View lot and begin our hike on the Blue Trail, then turn off onto the Red Trail to reach the Summit and return to our car via the Green Trail.  That made the steepest portion of the hike going down.  We’d recommend that route if you don’t consider yourself to be an expert hiker and if you have about an hour or two.  We'd also recommend to pack a picnic lunch to eat at the summit if you are hiking around lunch time.

Something else great about the mountain is the plethora of boulders.  It’s the perfect  natural playground.  Kids of all ages can find rocks all along the way that are just the right size to explore.  We saw little toddlers proudly conquering rocks two feet tall, school-age children discovering alcoves perfect for hiding in boulders that were 10-feet tall, and fully-grown kids scaling huge rock walls with all the ropes and gear. 

A few other things to note: You’ll find plenty of picnic tables near the parking lots, but you’ll want to make sure to remember the table cloth.  You’ll also find portable toilets, but don’t forget to pack your own hand sanitizer.  As with any hiking trail in the east, you’ll be covered by trees the majority of the time and you’ll find poison ivy (though the trails are wide enough that you can easily avoid brushing up against the poison ivy if you don’t venture off). Don’t forget the bug spray. 

After a hike, who doesn’t need some sort of reward?  Rocky Point Creamery is delicious.  It’s a little on the pricy side, but what creamery isn’t?  The ice cream is made from the milk that is produced by the cows on that very property and it tastes  delightfully fresh.  There’s just something fun and unique about supporting the local family farms.