Things to Do

For a full description of sites and resources along the Lake Sunapee Scenic Byway, please download the Tour of the Lake Sunapee Byway - in PDF format.

Scenic Vistas

The Lake Sunapee Byway meanders through a rural New England landscape, with forested hills and fields. The intermittent glimpses and occasional panoramic views of Lake Sunapee and the undeveloped mountainsides around the lake are the true scenic gems of the Byway. These are the views that distinguish the Lake Sunapee Byway from other scenic drives in New England.

As the landscape is mostly forested, views of the lakes and mountains are relatively few in number, but truly impressive in their natural beauty. Good views of Lake Sunapee from the car are found in Georges Mills, Sunapee Harbor, Mount Sunapee State Park Beach, Newbury Harbor, and Herrick Cove. Views of Mount Sunapee are best seen from the car on Route 11 in Sunapee heading south near Dewey Field, Route 103 in Sunapee heading east, and Main Street in New London west of Colby-Sawyer College. Out of the car, views are best appreciated from a boat on Lake Sunapee, or via hiking trails to Clark's Lookout, Sunset Hill, and Mount Sunapee. Mount Sunapee’s summit is also accessible via ski lift during the winter and select days during summer events.

Cultural Sites and Events

The Lake Sunapee Byway passes through several centers of cultural activity: the villages of Sunapee Harbor, Newbury Harbor, and New London, as well as The Fells and Mount Sunapee Resort. These locations offer a wide variety of community events, drawing in the local population as well as visitors from farther afield. Each community has its own unique local flavor and character.

Music, theater, and the arts are the focus of many cultural events along the Byway:

  • New Hampshire League of Craftsmen Fair at Mount Sunapee Resort,
  • Summer concerts at the town bandstands and gazebos,
  • Art shows at The Fells,
  • Theater and arts events at Colby-Sawyer College, and
  • Summer theater at the New London Barn Playhouse.

Visitors also flock to the Lions Club Car Show at Mount Sunapee every summer, where 300 classic and antique automobiles and trucks are put out on display, and to art shows and other events at the New London Historical Society.

The popularity of local foods and products has been growing over the past several years, and there are several cultural activities along the Byway related to local food:

  • Maple Sugar Weekend, a statewide event with several local participants;
  • Farmers’ Markets – weekly events in the summer in Newbury and New London;
  • Spring Ledge Farm – a farmstand in New London with pick-your-own strawberries and flowers.

The region offers a variety of family-oriented activities and events, including Hospital Days and ChocolateFest in New London, Chowderfest and Christmas in the Harbor in Sunapee Harbor, Old Home Days in Newbury and New London, Teddy Bear Picnics and other children’s events in Sunapee, Fourth of July fireworks and parades, and educational programs at The Fells.

Historic Areas and Museums

The villages that are centers for cultural activity today were also cultural and commercial hubs in the history of the region. The history of the region is tied to Lake Sunapee, a common thread among the three communities.

  • Georges Mills and Sunapee Harbor both had industrial mills and factories, and also hosted the 19th-century summer population who traveled via steamboat from Newbury Harbor’s rail stations. The Sunapee Historical Society Museum is located in the historic Osborne-Flanders Stable, and the Old Town Hall is a unique livery building from the days of steamboats and horse-drawn vehicles. In Sunapee Harbor, Hames Park along the Sugar River is located on the site of an old factory and interprets the manufacturing history of the town.
  • Newbury Harbor was the transportation hub for the Lake Sunapee area with its Lake Station connecting the rail line to steamboats that circled the lake, stopping at the various villages and grand hotels. Today, the railroad museum and the Center Meeting House provide insight into the history of that era and its impact on the region.
  • South Newbury is now a quiet residential village, as the state highway passes it just to the north. The old layout of the village, especially Village Road and Sleepy Street, and many historic buildings provide a feel of old New England.
  • The Fells, the estate of John Hay, the Secretary of State under Presidents McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, contains a beautiful house and gardens, and provides an eloquent backdrop to the story of grand hotels and summer vacationers who came in the 19th century and early 20th century.
  • New London’s town common and surrounding historic buildings and Colby-Sawyer College campus draws visitors to walk along Main Street. Kidder's Ice House on Pleasant Street near Main Street and the New London Historical Society Museum, with its collection of historic buildings and horse-drawn vehicles, provides an experience of what life was like in rural New England.

Residents are proud of their towns’ history, working to protect old buildings and create museums of historical collections. Many cultural events also have some historical context or event associated with it, such as Old Home Day in Newbury.

Recreational Opportunities

The Lake Sunapee Byway offers a diversity of four-season recreational opportunities because of the lake and the mountain in such close proximity to each other. Lake Sunapee, the smaller lakes nearby, and the Sugar River provide access points for boating, swimming, and fishing. The variety of watercraft on Lake Sunapee on a summer’s day —sailboats, pontoon boats, motorboats, personal watercraft, antique wooden cruisers, rowing sculls, kayaks, canoes — point to the widespread enjoyment of boating by residents and visitors alike. Boat rentals are available at Sargent’s Marina in Georges Mills and Sunapee Harbor; kayak rentals are available at Sunapee Outfitters on Route 103 in Newbury and Village Sports on Main Street in New London.

Mount Sunapee State Park is a major recreation destination along the Byway, offering a beach, boat launch, and campground in the summer, skiing and snowboarding at Mount Sunapee Resort in the winter, and year-round hiking trails. Other winter activities along the Byway include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, ice fishing, ice boating and snowmobiling. In the State of New Hampshire, there are over 6,000 miles of snowmobile trails, twice the mileage of the state highway system.

The Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway is an 88-mile hiking loop around Lake Sunapee and crosses the byway at several points. There are also hiking trails on many parcels of conserved land, including Knights Hill Nature Park and the adjoining trail network in New London, Dewey Woods in Sunapee, and the large area of protected land around The Fells and Sunset Hill in Newbury. Organized races, such as the Lake Sunapee Bike Race, the Horror at Harding Hill mountain bike race, and Hospital Days Triathlon draw crowds of competitors and spectators. Another way to travel the Byway is on a road bike; the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s bike route maps, show all state-numbered highways along the Byway as suggested bike routes.

Natural Areas and Conserved Lands

Driving the Lake Sunapee Byway provides an experience of driving through a rural landscape dotted with small villages. Lake Sunapee is the second-most visited lake in New Hampshire, yet it is located in a natural, rural setting, which is an important draw for visitors and is highly prized by residents. The excellent water quality of Lake Sunapee is a source of pride and also much concern for all towns on the lake. For example, each of the three towns contributes to the Lake Sunapee Protective Association to prevent the infestation by milfoil and other invasive species.

Large sections of the byway corridor are fields or forests, providing privacy for residents and a peaceful environment for travelers.

There is a strong desire to maintain the rural character of the region and protect open space, wildlife habitat, and agricultural land. Lands have been protected from development through a variety of mechanisms, involving both public and private land acquisition and conservation easements. Visitors can enjoy many of these natural areas in person via hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowmobile trails. Protected lands along the Byway include:

  • Phillips Preserve on Otter Pond in New London;
  • Dewey Woods and the Sawyer Trail along Route 11 in Sunapee;
  • Simpson Preserve, protecting the Redwater Creek wetlands on Route 103B in Sunapee;
  • Webb Woods and adjacent farm fields along Route 103 in Sunapee;
  • Mount Sunapee State Park and adjacent private conserved land in Newbury;
  • The connected conservation lands of The Fells, Hay National Wildlife Refuge, Hay Reservation, and Sunset Hill Reservation in Newbury;
  • Clark Lookout in New London;
  • Philbrick-Cricenti Bog, and nearby protected properties with frontage on Little Lake Sunapee on Newport Road in New London;
  • Knight’s Hill Nature Preserve just south of Newport Road in New London;
  • Kidder-Cleveland-Clough property just off Main Street in downtown New London; and
  • The Cleveland field and the Drake field on Main Street in New London.