Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

The heart of the center is a walking trail through the forest that leads past a series of natural-looking habitats, each home to native New Hampshire wildlife. Visitors can watch black bears, bobcats, a mountain lion, river otters, white-tailed deer, red and gray foxes, and birds of prey such as owls, hawks, bald eagles, and a turkey vulture, animals most people never see in the wild.

Every animal on the trail is there because it cannot be returned to the wild, whether orphaned, injured, or habituated to people. The center cares for them and uses them to teach, so a walk along the trail doubles as a lesson in the state's ecology and in why these particular animals ended up needing a home.

Squam Lake is the second-largest lake in New Hampshire, ringed by low mountains and studded with wooded islands, and it is famously undeveloped and calm compared with its busy neighbor, Lake Winnipesaukee. Its serene beauty made it the filming location for On Golden Pond, and the lake has guarded its quiet character ever since.

The science center runs naturalist-led cruises onto the lake, where guides point out common loons, bald eagles, and the natural and human history of the shoreline and islands. The loons in particular are a draw, their haunting calls a signature sound of the northern lakes, and the cruises are a peaceful counterpart to the walking trail.

Holderness sits at the northern edge of New Hampshire's Lakes Region, the belt of water and hills where the lowlands give way to the White Mountains. Squam Lake and its smaller sibling, Little Squam, anchor the town, and the Squam Range and other low peaks provide hiking with wide views over the water.

The whole area rewards a slower pace, with quiet coves, small villages, and classic New England scenery. The science center makes a natural base for exploring it, connecting the wildlife on its trails to the lakes, forests, and mountains that wildlife actually lives in.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.