Mount Sunapee State Park
86 Beach Access Road
Newbury, NH
A mountain and a lake in one park: ski or ride a chairlift to summit views in one season, then swim off a sandy state beach in the next.
Mount Sunapee State Park is really two parks in one: a mountain and a lake. On the heights, Mount Sunapee is a ski and snowboard area in winter, its trails threading down from a summit that looks out over the water and hills of west-central New Hampshire. In the warm months a chairlift carries visitors up to those same views without the climb.
At the mountain's foot lies the other half of the park, a sandy state beach on Lake Sunapee, one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the state. The pairing means the park changes character completely with the seasons, from a snow-covered mountain to a summer swimming beach, and it has long been a four-season anchor of the region that carries its name.
What Guests Love
- A ski and snowboard mountain in winter with a full network of trails
- Summit views over Lake Sunapee and the surrounding hills, reachable by chairlift in warm months
- A sandy state beach on clear, spring-fed Lake Sunapee for summer swimming
- The long-running League of New Hampshire Craftsmen's Fair held at the base each summer
Worth Knowing
- The mountain and the lake beach are separate areas of the same park, a short drive apart
- Lake Sunapee is known for unusually clean, clear water, protected by local stewardship
- The summer craft fair is a major regional event, so expect crowds during its week
- Winter is a full ski operation, while summer centers on the beach and lift-served hiking
Details
Newbury, NH
Learn about Mount Sunapee State Park
The mountain
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 and the beach
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.
The craft fair and the region
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.
Season by season
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.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Newbury
Lake Sunapee cruises
At the lake, a few minutes away
Excursion boats tour the clear, deep lake past historic lighthouses and shoreline estates, continuing a long resort tradition.
The Fells Historic Estate
About 5 miles, a 12 minute drive
A former summer estate on the shore of Lake Sunapee with historic gardens and trails, once home to the writer and diplomat John Hay's family.
Enfield Shaker Museum
About 25 miles, a 35 minute drive
A preserved Shaker village on Mascoma Lake, home to the Great Stone Dwelling, the largest building the Shakers ever raised.