Sugarloaf Mountain, the largest ski area east of the Rockies, is settled in the charming, tiny town of Carrabassett Valley. Carrabassett plays hosts to a diverse community of characters who share a love for all-things-Loaf. Visit here at any time of the year and enjoy an abundance of recreational opportunities while basking in the beauty of Maine’s western mountains. Whether you are a seasoned Sugarloafer who might, every once in awhile, get confused by all the incredibly similar sounding developments (eg. – Timbers, Timberline, Timberwind) or you’ve never been to the big blue mountain before, this article is for you. Here we’ll be briefly breaking down the developments at Sugarloaf and getting into what each location on the mountain has to offer.
Base Village & View from Gondola Village Penthouse
Residential properties in the Base Village–consisting of Gondola Village, Village Center, Village South, Village West and the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel– are ideally located at the base of Sugarloaf, in the heart of the action! These properties offer immediate access to 5 major chairlifts (DRC, Sawduster, Snubber, the SuperQuad, and Whiffletree), the Base Lodge, and Perfect Turn as well as the Landing and the Birches, our main area of beginner terrain. Residing here also means living mere steps from a myriad of dining and shopping outlets, including Downhill Supply Company, 45 North, The Widowmaker and more.
Plus, this location offers the immersive and unique experience of basking in the beautiful ambiance of an authentic alpine town each morning, noon, and night! There is nothing more magical than forging the first footsteps in the snow while walking down Main Street at dawn, long before first chair, or seeing groomer headlights scattered like stars across the mountainside at night. Base Village properties are an exclusive escape from the elements with an assortment of amenities and a convenient, central location.
Exterior & Interior of a Birchwoods Unit
BIRCHWOODS
The Birchwoods are one of the most popular locations for active families, and for good reason. These residence are located off the Snubber Chairlift, in proximity to the Base Village, Birches Trail and near the Sugarloaf Sports and Fitness Center. Shuttle service is easily accessible via the Sugarloaf Explorer and units have decks and ski lockers. Plus, the cozy post-and-beam interior style and welcoming fireplaces make being at home just as enjoyable as being on the slopes.
Exterior & Interior of a Black Bear Lodges Unit
BLACK BEAR LODGES
These residences are located below Parking Lot D and just an easy walk to the Snubber Chair mid-station. While some of these units have garages, all offer mudroom entry and outdoor decks.
Exterior & Interior of a Castle Creek Unit
CASTLE CREEK
Walking distance to the Snubber Chairlift, these awesome properties have ski lockers, mudroom entries, front porches and provide lovely seasonal views of the mountain.
Exterior & Interior of a Bigelows Unit
BIGELOWS
The Bigelows, offering wonderful views of the mountains, especially, you guessed it, Bigelow Mountain, allow residents easy access to Lower Stub’s and Buckboard Trails, the Whiffletree Chairlift, and the Burnt Mountain hiking trail. These units are sunny and have fire places, mudroom entries, and decks.
Exterior & Interior of a Commons Unit
COMMONS
In high demand for Sugarloaf buyers- probably because of their stellar location- the Commons stand behind the Sugarloaf Inn and Shipyard Brewhaus, off Birches Trail, Sawduster chairlift and Snubber chairlift. They offer easy access to skiing, dining and activities, plus these units have fireplaces, large living rooms for entertaining and mudroom entries. Some also have… attached garages!
Exterior & Interior of a Fall Line Unit
FALL LINE
Ski out the door, down the Snowbrook Trail and to the Snubber chairlift from these spacious townhouses. Prefer to catch a ride? Walk outside to the neighborhood shuttle stop and catch the Sugarloaf Explorer. Enjoy the outdoor hot tub or cozy up by the fireplace. These properties all have mudroom entries and great views.
Exterior & Interior of a Snowflower Unit
Located on Snubber Trail with easy access to the lift, the Snowflower condos feature screened in porch areas and large greenhouse style bay windows for plenty of warmth and sun in the winter months. Units have mudroom entries, fireplaces and spacious living areas and many are ski in ski out. This neighborhood is a friendly one, and a favorite of year round residents and visitors alike.
Exterior & Interior of a Free-Standing Townhouse on Fox Fire Road off Mountainside Road
Properties along Mountainside Road offer homeowners the best of slope-side living. Located high on the east side of the resort, Mountainside lodging has been a perennial favorite for anyone looking for direct ski-in/ski-out access, promising convenience, comfort, and coziness, making it the perfect place to hunker down after an afternoon spent on the slopes. This is the ideal spot to host an authentic, on-mountain après ski sesh, to watch the snow stack up outside, and to make the most of the mountains.
This neighborhood hosts a diverse combination of condominiums as well as private homes with a large selection of designs and sizes to choose from. Residences in this area are nestled along the ski trails Buckboard and Stub’s Glade, and include the Bigelow Condos and others along Adams Mountain Rd, Bear Mountain Rd, Caribou Mountain Rd, Deer Mountain Rd, Fox Fire, Glade Court, Hamlet Circle, Kibby Mountain Rd, Mount Blue Rd, Spaulding, Waldens, Wangans and Winterside. The Whiffletree chairlift is a stone’s throw away from many of the condominiums along Mountainside.
The Sugarloaf Explorer shuttle also stops at the top of Mountainside Road and at Gondola Village at the base of Whiffletree.
Mountainside offers easy access to the Burnt Mountain Cat Skiing meeting place, a perfect backcountry adventure for the family. And at the end of Bigelow Mountain Road you’ll find the Burnt Mountain trailhead, an uphill skinning route to the Burnt Mountain summit and challenging hiking trail in the summer.
Exterior & Interior of a Spruce Creek Townhouse
Beautifully constructed, Spruce Creek condos feature excellent ski-in/ski-out locations, right off Snowbrook Trail and next to Snubber Chairlift. Nearby, the Sugarloaf Sports and Fitness Center offers a pool, hot tub, weight room, and racquetball court and the properties have mudroom entries, ski lockers, and large living areas perfect for entertaining. Gather around the fireplace with your crew and warm up after a long day of skiing or head down to après at Shipyard Brewhaus.
Snowbrook Village Condos Around the Pond and an Interior of a Unit
It takes some by surprise, but it’s true: Snowbrook Village is home to tennis courts, an ice skating pond, an indoor spa complex with a pool, sauna, hot tubs, and game room… and it’s consistently one of the most affordable ski-in/ski-out locations in the area. The not-so-secret reason? Efficiently-designed spaces make for a lot of value per square foot. You know what they say- keep your assets diverse and your lift access easy.
Snowbrook Village is the largest condominium complex at Sugarloaf, with 216 units throughout 18 buildings over 30 acres. Each building houses 11-12 condos ranging in size from one bedroom to four bedrooms. The neighborhood was built over six phases, with the first phase constructed in 1985 and the final phase completed in 1998.
The base of the three-person Snubber chairlift is right next door, with several buildings only a stone’s throw away from the ski trail and the rest a comfortable walking distance. For those who prefer a shuttle ride to the Base Area, there is a Sugarloaf Explorer shuttle stop right in the heart of the neighborhood.
Snowbrook Village also offers easy access to Sugarloaf’s extensive network of hiking, mountain biking, cross-country ski trails, and dog-friendly trails.
Sugarloaf Village Home Exterior & Interior
If you’re looking for a big backyard and more privacy, your options are closer to the lifts than you might think. Just off the Access Road you’ll find the residential communities in Spruce Knoll, Twinbrook, and Sugarloaf Village I and II, offering spacious lots with views of Sugarloaf and surrounding mountains. Discover impressive newly-constructed mountain lodges or fall in love with a vintage cabin. Sugarloaf Village has it all and is close (but not too close) to all action.
These neighborhoods are right along the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center’s extensive network of cross-country ski and mountain biking trails, so no driving required to access these perks. Residents are also within walking distance of the Carrabassett River and Campbell Field trailhead, one of the main access points for the town’s free multi-use Narrow Gauge trail system.
Some of the area’s best dining is right down the street, including the famed apres-ski bar and BBQ joint The Rack, cozy Italian spot Hugs and the Outdoor Center’s Bull Moose Cafe. Other attractions within walking distance include the Carrabassett Valley Library, the Anti-Gravity Complex, the Carrabassett Valley Academy campus and Mountainside Grocers, garage and gas station.
The Sugarloaf Explorer shuttle stops in several locations throughout the area, including Boynton Avenue, Town Line Road, Brackett Brook and more, all indicated with orange spots on the shuttle map below.
Sugartree I Exterior & Interior
Featuring easy ski in ski out access from Birches/ Snubber Trail, these condos are centrally located and connected to Sugarloaf’s Sports & Fitness Center and the Fitness Center Café. There are laundry facilities and an indoor parking garage for Sugartree I owners, with plenty to do nearby. Catch the Sugarloaf Explorer’s free shuttle service just outside the door or take a quick walk to dining at Shipyard Brewhaus.
Timbers Exterior & Interior
You won’t find another place quite like the Timbers on the mountain. With views that go on forever, these exclusive ski-in/ski-out townhouses are located slopeside just above the SuperQuad. Rugged mountain construction meets the warm ambience of comfortable living. Enjoy the ultimate luxury lifestyle with four seasons of outdoor adventure just outside the door.
The Timbers townhouse buildings are spread across three roads, moving uphill: First Tracks Lane (the first road in the development and ends just uphill from the SuperQuad), Hardwood Ridge Road (second road) and Timbers Drive (the third and top road).
Several ski trails pass the neighborhood, including Lower Glancer, Lower Windrow, Lower Scoot, Lower Binder and Lower Tote Road. A few of the West Mountain cross-cut trails also end here, and future alpine terrain development (highlighted in orange in the below map) will add even more trails. The Timbers are also the starting point for Sugarloaf’s designated uphill skinning and snow-shoeing trail.
If you aren’t planning on skiing to or from your home, the Sugarloaf Explorer shuttle system has a stop on each of the three roads in the Timbers neighborhood.
Timberwind Exterior & Interior
Home to the original Base Lodge, these condos are located directly next to the Snubber chairlift midstation with ski in/out to Snowbrook Trail, and are a hop skip and not even a jump from the Sports & Fitness Center. Their location means these units truly are the ultimate in convenient, cozy ski getaway – and have outdoor hot tubs for post-ski soaking, as well as laundry facilities.
Aerial of the Village on the Green Development and an Interior Great Room of a Private Home
The award-winning Sugarloaf Golf Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones II to showcase the outstanding views from every tee. This dedication to design is mirrored in the architecture and sense of space in the upscale Village on the Green neighborhood, tucked along the fairways and meandering through the forest. Discover a combination of single-family homes and large duplex condos away from the hustle and bustle of the base area, yet just a shuttle ride away from the lifts. Featuring a variety of amenities like heated garages, cozy fireplaces, and impressive kitchens, Village on the Green properties give you plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the views.
During the ski season, Village on the Green residents have the option of parking at the base of the West Mountain chairlift (also home of the Winterstick Factory) on holidays and weekends or taking the Sugarloaf Explorer to the Base Area. The shuttle makes three stops in the neighborhood: Nice Drive, Niblick Way and the Village on the Green condo complex.
There are year-round attractions in Village on the Green. In the shoulder season, residents enjoy biking and walking on the breathtaking Sugarloaf Golf Club cart path. Once course opens, there’s the added bonus of enjoying food and drinks at the clubhouse restaurant, Strokes Bar & Grille. The neighborhood is also home to a tennis court, open to residents only.
And just uphill from the Sugarloaf Golf Club clubhouse is the West Mountain Falls trailhead, a half-mile hike past the Hole 10 tee and along the Carrabassett River to a swimming hole and fly-fishing spot known for elusive brook trout. But be warned: the water is very cold even in August, flowing from the high-elevation Caribou Pond on the backside of Sugarloaf.
There’s a bright future ahead for this area of the Sugarloaf: Village on the Green is at the base of West Mountain, the site of future alpine trails, a new high-speed chairlift, downhill mountain biking trails and real estate development (area shaded in orange below).
Exterior & Interior of a Winter’s Way Townhouse
WINTER’S WAY
These lovely, sunny properties are located just off Snowbrook Trail and Snubber lift line. They feature ski lockers, mudroom entries and wonderful Bigelow and Sugarloaf views. If you don’t want to ski down, take advantage of the conveniently located shuttle stop when heading home or heading out.
Aerial View of Most of West Mountain & Interior of a Private Home on Sandy River Circle
Just one ride up West Mountain chairlift is all it takes to understand why this neighborhood is one of the most sought-after locations in the area. Ski home down the West Mountain ski trail or the Greenhorn Glade to your oasis in the forest.
The picture-perfect properties in West Mountain Village, Penobscot Circle, Timberline Lodges, Riverside, and the brand-new Crocker Cirque Condominiums offer the ideal ski home experience just above the award-winning Sugarloaf Golf Club. As the highest elevation neighborhood on the mountain, the views are spectacular (and a prime location for watching an aurora borealis light show).
The Sugarloaf Explorer shuttle makes several stops on West Mountain, with one stop at each of the main thoroughfares (Sandy River Circle, Kennebec Circle and Penobscot Circle), and one outside of West Mountain Village.
Just uphill from the Sugarloaf Golf Club clubhouse is the West Mountain Falls trailhead, a half-mile hike past the Hole 10 tee and along the Carrabassett River to a swimming hole and fly-fishing spot known for elusive brook trout. But be warned: the water is very cold even in August, flowing from the high-elevation Caribou Pond on the backside of Sugarloaf.
West Mountain will see a major expansion in the coming years (area highlighted in orange below), including a new high-speed lift, downhill mountain biking trails, real estate development, summer access to Bullwinkle’s and more.
Get your bearings and view a resort map here.
