Sugarloaf Loop

Sugarloaf Loop is a moderate 5-mile circuit from Piney River Parking Area at Skyline Drive mile 22. Follow Piney Branch Upper to Pole Bridge Link, turn left onto it, then left onto Sugarloaf Trail; the white-blazed Appalachian Trail returns you to the same lot. The route gains about 1,120 feet and shares a short stretch of Piney Branch near the trailhead as it closes. Plan about 3½ hours at a steady pace. The park lists 6–7 hours, so leave a half day if you prefer longer stops or a slower outing.

The Piney Branch and Pole Bridge sections wind through mature woodland on packed dirt, roots and stones. A few small streams cross the route, and parts of the trail get rockier as it climbs. Watch your footing on wet roots and rocks. The Appalachian Trail finishes the loop through the woods.

A short spur to a rocky outcrop is easy to pass. It opens onto broad, layered mountain ridges and the valley below. Another rocky opening sits near Skyline Drive above Hogback Overlook, with smaller outcrops along the return looking toward the Luray Valley. For a photo, keep some foreground rock in the frame so the view reads as an overlook rather than a distant wall of ridges. Mountain laurel blooms abundantly here in early summer.

Start at Piney River Parking Area on Skyline Drive at mile 22. There is no reservation or separate trail fee, but park admission requires a pass. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet. This route is not ADA-accessible. Bring your own drinking water; a potable source is not established along the route. Elkwallow Wayside at mile 24, about two miles south on Skyline Drive, has seasonal food, gifts and supplies; it is a separate roadside stop, not part of the hike.