Mount Sunapee State Park

Mount Sunapee has been a downhill ski area since the mid-twentieth century, when the state developed it as a public mountain. Today it operates as a full ski and snowboard resort with a spread of trails for different abilities, lifts, and the base facilities that come with a modern mountain, while remaining part of the state park system.

Outside of ski season, the summit is open to hikers and to lift-served sightseers, with trails climbing through the forest and a chairlift offering an easy ride to the top. From the summit area the views open north across Lake Sunapee and out over the wooded ridges of the region.

Lake Sunapee is the jewel below the mountain, a large, deep, spring-fed lake celebrated for water so clean and clear that residents and organizations have worked hard for generations to keep it that way. The state beach at the southern end, part of the park, offers a crescent of sand, a swimming area, and a classic summer-lake atmosphere.

The lake is ringed by summer homes, historic lighthouses, and public launches, and excursion boats still cruise its waters in season, continuing a resort tradition that goes back to the era when steamers carried vacationers across the lake.

Each summer the base of Mount Sunapee hosts the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair, one of the oldest craft fairs in the country, where the state's juried potters, woodworkers, weavers, jewelers, and other artisans gather to show and sell their work. It draws visitors from across New England and is a highlight of the region's calendar.

The park sits within the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee region, a landscape of lakes, covered bridges, and hill towns between the Connecticut River and central New Hampshire, with Dartmouth College and the Upper Valley to the northwest.

Winter is ski season, when the mountain's trails and lifts run and the region fills with skiers and snowboarders.

Spring is a quiet shoulder season as the snow melts and the lake and trails wake up.

Summer is beach season on Lake Sunapee, with swimming, boating, lift-served summit trips, and the craft fair at the base.

Fall paints the hills around the lake and mountain in color, a beautiful time for a chairlift ride or a scenic drive.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Mount Sunapee State Park, near Newbury in western New Hampshire, is a beautiful state park encompassing both Mount Sunapee, a popular ski and recreation mountain, and a lovely beach on the shore of Lake Sunapee. In winter, Mount Sunapee is a beloved ski area, while in the warmer months visitors can ride the chairlift or hike for spectacular summit views, and the separate Sunapee State Beach offers sandy shoreline, swimming, and boating on clear Lake Sunapee. Combining a mountain and a lake in one park, it offers year-round recreation amid gorgeous scenery. With its mountain, summit views, and lake beach, Mount Sunapee State Park offers a delightful destination in New Hampshire.

You can ski and snowboard the mountain in winter, ride the chairlift or hike to the summit for spectacular views in the warmer months, swim and relax at the sandy Sunapee State Beach, boat and paddle on clear Lake Sunapee, hike the trails, and enjoy the mountain and lake scenery. The skiing, the summit views, the lake beach, and the year-round recreation are the highlights, offering something for every season. The park hosts a popular annual craft fair too. With its mountain and lake, Mount Sunapee State Park offers a rewarding experience in New Hampshire.

A state park admission may apply at the beach, and the ski area operates in winter while the beach and summit chairlift operate in the warm months, so checking the current season, hours, and operations before you go is wise. At the lake beach, watching children in the water, swimming in designated areas, and being mindful of boat traffic are important. The summit is cooler and breezier than below, so a layer helps. Planning around the season ensures an enjoyable visit to Mount Sunapee State Park in New Hampshire.

Winter is the season for skiing and snowboarding, while summer is ideal for the lake beach, swimming, boating, and the summit chairlift and hikes, and fall is spectacular when the surrounding foliage blazes with color, beautiful from the summit and around the lake. Each season offers different recreation. For skiing choose winter, for the beach and summit choose summer, or visit in fall for stunning foliage, at Mount Sunapee State Park in New Hampshire.

Mount Sunapee State Park is near Newbury on Lake Sunapee in western New Hampshire, within reach of the Lake Sunapee area, the Enfield Shaker Museum, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, the Upper Valley with Hanover, and the western New Hampshire towns. That makes Mount Sunapee State Park a delightful stop to combine with the Lake Sunapee area, the Enfield Shaker Museum, and the other attractions of western New Hampshire on a visit to the state.