Sugarloaf Peak
- 0.2 mi
- round trip
- 69 ft
- climb
- 4,546 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Jun, Sep–Oct
- best months
Is Sugarloaf Peak open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists 2 alerts for Eldorado National Forest.
Help Halt Golden Mussel Invasion
Agency alert covering Eldorado National Forest · USFS · Eldorado National Forest
Deer Valley Trail (19E01) & Meadow Lake Road (09N01)
Agency alert covering Eldorado National Forest · Order 03-24-05 · USFS · Eldorado National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Eldorado National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Sugarloaf Peak is a short out-and-back hike in California's Eldorado National Forest, within the Placerville Ranger District. The route is about 0.2 miles long, with a low point of 4,445 feet and a high point of 4,546 feet. The Forest Service manages the land. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show May highs around 72°F and October highs around 66°F, while July and August average about 90°F and winter brings the most wet days, roughly 12 a month from December through February. The peak sits right beside two climbing areas, East Face and West Face, each about 0.2 miles away. Sand Flat Campground is 1.4 miles off, and the Pony Express hike is 1.6 miles away.
Local outfitters
- Alpenglow Expeditions29 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Mar–Jun, Sep–Oct
Best time to visit Sugarloaf Peak
Best months: March–June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
44° / 32°
12 wet
Feb
50° / 31°
12 wet
Mar
56° / 33°
12 wet
Apr
63° / 36°
9 wet
May
72° / 42°
7 wet
Jun
82° / 47°
3 wet
Jul
90° / 53°
1 wet
Aug
89° / 52°
1 wet
Sep
83° / 49°
2 wet
Oct
66° / 41°
5 wet
Nov
51° / 35°
9 wet
Dec
43° / 31°
12 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Pacific House, CA, 10.8 mi away at 3,450 ft. The station sits about 1,100 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Closures we've recorded since August 2026
Fire Restrictions are in Effect Forest Wide
Eldorado National Forest · Order dated September 22, 2026; seen Aug 23, 2026 → lifted Nov 2, 2026 · Forest Service
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: mlinksva, Public Domain Dedication (CC0) (via Flickr)Pony Express Trail
~5 min drive
11.72-mile out-and-back trail in California with 4,447 ft elevation gain.
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STATION CREEK
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Cody Meadows
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STRAWBERRY RIDGE LOOP
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Big Hill Trail
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1.54-mile out-and-back trail in California with 475 ft elevation gain
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Rockbound
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Photo: Charkrem, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Lover's Leap Trail
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Pony Express
~3 min drive
1.48-mile out-and-back trail in California with 418 ft gain.
