When I was in Washington, DC last year for my previous day job, I was pretty excited because it gave me an opportunity to hike in a new part of the country. Great Falls National Park was my first hike in Virginia and Sugarloaf Mountain became my first hike in Maryland.

If you didn’t already know, I’m on a Quest for Adventure to visit, and hike in, every state in the US.

Albert M. Thomas Trail

Getting to Sugarloaf Mountain is a breeze (map at the bottom).

From where we were staying in Sterling, Virginia, Sugarloaf Mountain was about an hour drive. Not too bad.

Once you arrive, there are two parking lots on the mountain so finding a spot shouldn’t be a problem.

Sugarloaf’s trails are well maintained and easy to follow. There are trails that circumnavigate the small mountain and several that snake up toward the summit. My work buddy and I hiked to the summit and around the mountain a couple of times. It’s a pretty laid-back hike.

In several areas, we saw groups of people rock climbing and rappelling. For some reason, I didn’t take a picture. Ah well.

As beautiful as Sugarloaf is, be prepared to be bombarded by bugs. There were tons of flies and mosquitoes. It was only a problem for my friend and I because we didn’t have bug spray. Lesson learned.

Post-Hike Treats

When you’re done hiking, stop by the Rocky Point Creamery for some amazing ice cream. Rocky Point Creamery is a friendly, small town shop along Tuscarora Road in Maryland. They have a dairy farm so running an ice cream shop is a natural segue.