Saddleback Mountain via Ski Lodge

This route starts and ends at the Saddleback ski resort base lodge, climbing the mountain's steeper ski trails and descending its longer, more gradual ones to reach Saddleback Mountain. From the lodge, follow Wheeler Slope, then Grey Ghost — a groomed, three-pitch intermediate run — and Tri-Color, climbing about 1.5 miles to a junction with the Appalachian Trail near the summit ridge. Turn onto the Appalachian Trail and continue a short distance to Saddleback Mountain's open, ledgy summit. From the summit, retrace your steps to the junction with the Appalachian Trail. Take a right here, passing a small pond and shortly after, reaching the top of the quad lift. At this junction, turn left onto America Trail, then the Upper Hudson Highway Trail and the Lower Hudson Highway Trail — the resort's longest run, at 1.86 miles — back to the lodge. The full loop covers approximately 4.4 miles with about 1,700 vertical feet of cumulative elevation gain. Hikers can also reverse this route, ascending via Hudson Highway and the America Trail and descending Grey Ghost, or skip the loop and go up and down the same trail: Grey Ghost for the shorter, steeper option, or Hudson Highway and the America Trail for the longer, more gradual one.