New Sugarloaf rules restrict inexperienced climbers

Stronghold to restrict Sugarloaf permits to climbers who have scaled another 1,200+ foot Maryland mountain

DICKERSON, MD -- The owner of Sugarloaf Mountain, Stronghold Incorporated, will issue Sugarloaf permits only to climbers with experience of scaling at least one of Maryland's 1,200 ft peaks, according to the draft of a new rule aimed at reducing overcrowding and improving safety on the Frederick County mountain.

Stronghold, which is fully reliant on climbing, trekking and tourism for income, has faced criticism for permitting too many climbers, including inexperienced ones, to try to ascend the 1,282 ft peak.

This often results in long queues of climbers in the “Poison Ivy Zone,” an area below the summit with dense thickets of poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, giant hogweed, and poison hemlock.

Empty Calamine lotion bottles are left behind on Sugarloaf, so why are hundreds of climbers heading into the ‘poison Ivy zone’ this spring?

Overcrowding has also been blamed for the high number of twisted ankles on the mountain. At least 12 climbers suffered severe sprains, and another five broke bones, on Sugarloaf’s rocky slopes in 2023.

Under the proposed rule, a Sugarloaf permit would be issued only after a climber provides evidence of having climbed at least one 1,200-foot mountain in Maryland. Applicants must submit selfies taken at the summit and bumper stickers that say "This car climbed Roundtop Hill" or another Maryland peak.

The draft rule has been registered with the Dickerson Town Council. Virginia tour operators have urged Stronghold to allow any 1,200-foot peak, not just those in Maryland, for the Sugarloaf permit.