Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation — Attraction in Deerfield

After reviewing reviews from Google, decided to take my 16 month old toddler in a backpack carrier on this so called "easy and short hike". And wow, what a difference in opinion what easy and short can mean to some but definitely not for myself and our family.

First parking - if you want to hike up, there is no place to park outside. We had to pay the $10 to drive up a tiny and narrow road. Once you get to the top, someone will check your parking receipt and let you in to parking area on the top.

Picnic area is very nice. You can grill and even reserve a nice big area for a larger group BBQ event.

Hiking - if you hike down, it can be nice. A little scary if you follow the paved road since you share the road with vehicles trying to go up and down using a tiny road. So not very safe to have a toddler loose. If you are hiking up or backup to your car, it is steep towards the end. I mean like level 10 on your ecliptical machine steep, hard. And I had about additional 35 lbs on me with a toddler on my backpack carrier. So I was dying by the end of it. So, no. This is not an easy hike to say the least. Unless you are a professional hiker or someone who has done some serious hiking for awhile.

The view is nice. I wouldn't say breathtaking but nice to oversee the area.

You wouldn't be missing out if you decided to skip this trail. If you are looking for an easy, toddler/baby friend hike, this is not...

I come here a whole lot during the day and during the night. The place is managed by Umass Amherst. The site is wicked clean and has plenty of ground to sprawl out and enjoy the iconic view of the river. There's benches and picnic tables for sitting. Also ample parking and porta potties.

The Sugarloaf tower is old but still in good shape. The view is unmatched with it's 270 degree view (No north view) and offers multiple levels for good picture taking. The tower is open most of the year round until ice and snow set in.

During the day and during the warmer months, parking is not free unless you're just driving through. Although I'm not sure how enforced this is. If it's night time, you can park at the bottom and walk up the paved road for some good nighttime views. The climb is not hard and should only take 20 minutes.

There is a dirt path which weirdly takes only 5 minutes more than the paved road.

Pros: Great view Open all year round to walking, most of the time for cars Bathrooms, benches, and lots of parking Clean

Cons: They lock the gate to the tower sometimes Charging for parking most of the time Gets crowded during the...

I wouldn't call myself the fittest person in the world, so hiking to the top was doable but a tad bit challenging for me in my not fit state.

There are two routes apparently but me and my girls took the paved road 🤭. We had a 4 year old with us so it made sense.

It took us about 20 minutes to get to the top. There was some work being done on the road leading to the top so we took the lower road.

The view at the top was definitely worth the sweat. You have a view of the Connecticut River and the surrounding communities. Breathtaking. There are restroom facilities and a space for picnics, covered and open air.

I would definitely go back to Mount Sugarloaf. ...