The Great Sugar Loaf Mountain is situated in County Wicklow, not a far drive from Dublin.

The mountain is a height of 501m above sea level, looking quite daunting to the amateur hiker gazing at the mountain from the road on the way. At least, I most definitely felt quite daunted even though I have reasonable fitness.

The car park at the start of the trail has ample parking, although it has the potential to be quite busy during nice weather days.

The trail starts off with a steep incline on a simple to walk wide gravel path. Without walking very far up the path, turning around there is a stunning view of the farms surrounding the area.

As the mountain ascends higher up, towards the peak walking becomes a bit trickier with a bit of a rock scramble where you need to walk carefully over the rocks and loose gravel.

It takes about 30 minutes to reach the top of the mountain from the car park if you walk at a consistent speed without breaks. Views from the top are definitely worth it! I have heard that on a clear day it’s possible to see Wales on the horizon. There is plenty of flat surfaces to sit down and enjoy the view before embarking on the descent.

There are looping walks around the mountain which are easier to walk and provides different views of the area.

 

Image 1: Start of the hike from the car park

Image 2: Full view of the Sugar Loaf Mountain

Image 3: View of the surrounding farms

Image 4: Panoramic view from the top of the mountain, looking East

Image 5: Photo from the top looking East

Image 6: View from the top looking South

Image 7: Looped walk around the mountain

Image 8: Looped walk with the view of the mountain peak

 

The Great Sugar Loaf car park can be found here: