Best Hiking Trails in Northern New Brunswick: Sugarloaf Provincial Park

I see the mountain every day unless there is fog or a heavy rain or snowfall. Sugarloaf Mountain is a 305 meter (1,000 feet) high and is located just outside Campbellton New Brunswick, it, in fact, can be seen from many different vantage points around town.

There is a Mi’kmaq legend stating Sugarloaf Mountain was created when the god Koluskap flung the leader of a group of giant beavers who had dammed the Restigouche River and blocked the salmon from their spawning grounds. This deprived Mi'kmaq of their main food source.

The beaver fell on the mountain's site and turned into rock, and thus became Sugarloaf Mountain.

The mountain is a Late Devonian volcano in the northern Appalachian mountains of New Brunswick.

The mountain is located in Sugarloaf Provincial Park which has both skiing and hiking trails.

Sugarloaf provides a 22 km (14 mi.) groomed cross-country ski trails which circle Prichard Lake and a 32-km (20-mi.) groomed snowmobile trail system, which connects to all provincial trails.

In the late spring through early fall you can climb to the summit of the 305-m (1,000-ft.) mountain. The view is dynamic and you will be able to see the City of Campbellton, the Restigouche River, and the Chaleur Bay and, in the distance, the hills of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec.

In addition to cross country skiing and snowmobiling there are over 25 km (16 mi.) of hiking and mountain-biking trails. The 4 km (2.5 mi.) Terry Fox Trail winds around the base of the mountain.

There are rest stops on the way up and it is not unusual to see people taking a break and enjoying a snack along with the view.

Sugarloaf stands out as it is higher than many of the other mountains in this part of the Appalachian range. The City of Campbellton itself is bordered on one side by the mountains and the other by the river with the mountains of the Gaspé Peninsula in the distance.

If you find yourself in Northern New Brunswick and you like to hike, then a trip to Sugarloaf is something you simply must do.