Mount Sugarloaf hike
Written by Karen Warren
Article published in Northampton Living (October 2020)
If you want views of iconic New England villages, churches, and landscapes, a hike up Mount Sugarloaf in South Deerfield will always deliver. Sugarloaf is a rounded butte composed of two mountains-South Sugarloaf and North Sugarloaf. Most of the hiking action happens on the south mountain, seen prominently with its observation tower on top from many vantage points in the river valley.
Sugarloaf is a centerpiece of Native American lore in the Connecticut River Valley. According to legend, the peaks are the petrified remains of a Great Beaver. South Sugarloaf is the head, North Sugarloaf the body, and the Pocumtuck ridge is the tail. The Native place name for this area is Pemawatchuwatunck, meaning “long winding hill.” Its English name is the Pocumtuck Range.
Two trails take hikers to the summit of South Sugarloaf. The blue-blazed Pocumtuck Ridge trail is a steep, heart-pumper with periodic spectacular views of the Connecticut River and the quaint town of Sunderland. This trail begins at the entrance kiosk and zigzags less than a half-mile up the south face of the mountain.
The Old Mountain trail is longer and less steep as it winds around the mountain for a more gradual ascent. It’s a great trail for the whole family. The trail starts at the Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation parking lot on Sugarloaf Street. To reach the peak, stay to the right at trail junctions. A fork trail to the left climbs North Sugarloaf. Hike this trail to visit the “gnome tree” found in the first 10 minutes of the hike. Wiggle into the cavity of this big rotting oak for great photos.
