Abbott and Sugarloaf Mountains, Shapleigh

Abbott Mountain: This is a nice hike up a 1,063-foot peak, although it’s un-blazed and it’s not easy to park close to the trail. The 1.3-mile (one way) trail—composed of dirt road and four-wheeler track—is mostly in the 5,617-acre Vernon S. Walker Wildlife Refuge (the home to the great Knox Mountain, as well).

To summit this little mountain, your best bet is to park at the point where Owls Nest Road and Pitts Road meet. At this trailhead (where Owl’s Nest Road ends, essentially), there are two signs, one pointing up Pitts Road for Abbott Mountain, the other straight to Sugarloaf (for a long loop hike). Turn up Pitts Road and walk about a quarter mile, past a couple of homes. After the last home, the road becomes more of a track. Keep following the track (old Pitts Road) for approximately a quarter a mile. At this point, you’ll see an even more deteriorated stony track heading off to the left. Take this for a little more than half a mile. When the woods open a bit and you see ledges on your left, start climbing up. You’ll scramble up a steep slope of ledge and loose stone for a little under a half mile, coming to some views before reaching the ledgy summit, popular with four-wheelers. I’ve marked another spot with nice views just beyond the summit (or what I think is the summit!). There are also some trails heading off the backside to less spectacular views. The top has been eaten up by ATVs, with a mess of tracks all over the place.

Franklin Sites has some good info about the hike.

Sugarloaf-Abbott loop: Additionally, you can do a longer loop—about 5.6 miles—that includes neighboring Sugarloaf Mountain, which has a small, grassy open area on top with a bit of a view. I am not sure how often this trail is maintained, and you may encounter rough sections, downed trees, and at times difficulty finding the trail. Alternatively, I wonder if it would be better to eschew the footpath and continue hiking on the old woods road, which will bring you close to the summit of Sugarloaf, where you can then pick up the footpath. It’s helpful to use AllTrails on this hike. I didn’t hike the woods road so can’t vouch for its condition.

To pick up the Sugarloaf loop trail from the end of Owl’s Nest Road, head straight; the trial follows a rough track for about 0.7 miles. Look for a faint blue arrow marked on a tree—this marks the junction with the Sugarloaf footpath. Take care at this point to choose the right way! Because a false-friend path will cross a stream and take you to the top of a nearby little hill with no views. Look instead for a faint trail to the right, right before you get to the stream. It is blazed with dark blue (the false friend is blazed light blue).

From here, the trail is fairly flat for about 1.4 miles, at times following a pretty stream. Soon after it crosses a multi-use track, it begins to head steeply uphill for a half mile to the summit. There’s a bit of a view and a grassy area here. To head over to Abbott, look for a trail with yellow blazes at the corner of the clearing. I got confused here because there are two little trails close together—choose the one on the right and look for those yellow blazes!

The next 1.3-mile section of trail might be rough, with downed trees, depending on when it was last maintained. Eventually it rises to a ridge that passes through beautiful forest—the path becomes much easier to follow. There are a few intersecting trails throughout, so again, keep your eyes peeled for the intermittent yellow blazes. You know you’re close to Abbott Mountain when there’s a mass of ATV trails all over the place.

Directions: Make your way to Owl’s Nest Road in Shapleigh. Continue as the road turns to dirt. Park at the point Owls Nest becomes impassable, where it meets Pitts Road. For Abbott Mountain, walk up Pitts Road, past the last driveway and into the woods. For the Sugarloaf-Abbott loop, continue straight.