Overview
Sugarloaf Mountain is a cool little knoll located 7 miles west of the City of Boulder, in the Front Range. The mountain is plainly visible from east Boulder and the surrounding plains. The summit sits in the Roosevelt National Forest. The hill itself is very bare and rocky, yet the surroundings reflect typical Front Range vegetation. The views from the summit are amazing, and the peak can be accessed from Boulder in as little as half an hour. A short hike will bring you to the spacious summit. This hill would make for a great hike in any season. The Sugarloaf Trail shares the same trailhead as the popular Switzerland Trail, a network of trails famous for mountain biking. Sugarloaf itself can be mountain biked, yet the ride up is very rocky. The views stretch over the vast Eastern Plains to the east, the
Boulder Group to the southeast, the
Indian Peaks to the west, and
Longs Peak and
Rocky Mountain National Park to the north and northwest.
View from the Summit
Getting There
From downtown Boulder, head west on CO 119 towards Nederland. Approximately 4.5 miles after you have left Boulder, turn right onto Sugarloaf Road. Sugarloaf Road will climb steeply, then gradually "flatten", then begin to climb again. At this point Sugarloaf is plainly visible from the road. 4 miles after the turn from CO 119, turn right onto Sugarloaf Mountain road (located at the top of the road). If the road starts descending, you've gone too far. Take the dirt Sugarloaf Mountain Road 1 mile to the large parking area for the Switzerland Trail.
Approach
From the parking lot, look to the east, and you will see a rocky trail heading up to Sugarloaf, with a gate some yards up. Take this trail, and it will wrap around the hill and lead you to the summit. The trail to the top is just over 1/2 mile one-way, gains about 400 feet, and takes about 15-20 minutes.
Red Tape
Normal national forest rules apply. No camping, open from sun up to sun down.
External Links
Switzerland Trail Page at Mtbpost.com