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Constance

I did this hike in August and per the reviews expected waterfalls or water of some sort. However, I did not see any on this trail! Perhaps they were all dried up or I came at the wrong time. Other than that this trail is very nice, as are the surrounding trails in the Patapsco park. Lots of people on weekends.

I've walked and jogged this loop many times. It's a very popular spot for walkers and runners. If you're looking for solitude, this is not the place. However, it can be pretty empty and quiet on weekdays in the middle of the day. On weekends it's VERY busy, and there is a fee to get into the park to reach the lake. The trail sticks right beside the lake all the way around so you will always have a view of it. There's kayaks and canoes to rent, park benches to relax on, and many fishing spots. It's not a challenging hike, but can be a challenging run with the steep up's & downs.

I hiked the Sugarloaf blue/white trail this past summer. Sugarloaf is beautiful, and easily accessible. It has shorter and longer trails making it accessible for many levels; Sugarloaf can be fairly challenging on a longer trail, or short and sweet on a shorter one. I wanted to reach the 'White Cliffs' which are apparently the strived-for view on Sugarloaf, the one that's really awesome. I took the blue/white trail up to the cliffs, and then back down and around, making a big circle on the mountain. This was quite a long hike, especially in the rain. It took me most of the day (for experts, probably less). The yellow trail is also quite long. The blazes and signs on Sugarloaf are sometimes unclear or poorly maintained. But it's accessible, beautiful and many friendly people to encounter on Sugarloaf, especially on nice days.

I loved this hike since it was good for my level as a beginner, challenging but short. I followed the 'hidden staircase' directions listed in another review and I found them to be 100% accurate in their instruction. If you take a right walking out of the parking lot you will see a yield sign to your right and the houses on the left. You should see the hidden staircase across the road, and the sign for the AT south. The white blazes will be obvious. You'll come across the sign for the cliffs about 1.2-1.5 miles north up the AT. I did this on a cloudy day and the view was still really awesome. Many friendly hikers and passersby on the weekend.