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May 21, 2024 — Despite Sugarloaf Mountain being a major summit within the San Bernardino Mountains, it's far less visited than other trails in the region. The summit has excellent views of Mount San Gorgonio and the surrounding area, but the hike itself is mostly forested and doesn't have the same alpine appeal that the taller peaks of the range offer. The summit can be reached from a number of trailheads, but Amanda and I chose the longer approach option, the Sugarloaf National Recreation Trail from the north.
We parked on the side of CA-38 at a locked gate, hiking southwest along a dirt road until it bent southeast. Unfortunately, the first mile or so of this hike is along this road. On our right, the Sugarloaf Mountain Trailhead appeared, and I assume at certain times of the year the locked gate is open and you can just drive to this point.
The Sugarloaf Mountain Trail begins by passing a locked gate, ascending through the forest and following Green Creek, which was flowing nicely on our visit. The trail was in good shape overall, with only a downed tree here or there. After the somewhat steep climb, we made it to the eastern ridge of Sugarloaf Mountain. From here, we picked up the trail heading toward the summit, with occasional views of the surrounding area and toward Mount San Gorgonio. There were a couple of bumps along the way and one dip of about 200 feet of elevation loss that reached the base of Sugarloaf Mountain.
The final ascent took us to the high point, where the views were somewhat obscured, but we did get to see the edge of Big Bear Lake and Baldwin Lake. We were happy there were views along the way since none really existed at the summit.
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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!
