Best of Sunapee Region, NH

See the latest Sunapee Trail Reviews

Named for and centered upon Lake Sunapee, this region includes the towns of Claremont and Lebanon, several notable peaks and some of the most spectacular rail trails in the state. We list here our favourite trails of the region, summarized below with links to our trail reviews that feature photography and route maps that you can use on your phone for easy navigation. Did we miss your favorite trail? Let us know and we'll make sure to check it out.

Hiking Trails

	4★ Mount Sunapee Newbury • 1-10 mi • Moderate Four very different routes to the top of the same mountain, mapped out and compared. We also include a route to reach a 1949 airplane wreck.
	5★ Mount Cardigan Orange • 3-5 mi • Moderate Topped with a squat fire tower, this summit has unparalleled views all the way to the horizon in every direction.
	4★ Mount Kearsarge Wilmot • 1-9 mi • Easy & Moderate Notice a trend here? Sunapee has some of the best peaks south of the White Mountains. Kearsarge is a great peak with some challenging trails, and also features a summit trail that's only half a mile from Rollins State Park trailhead.

Rail Trails

	5★ Northern Rail Trail Lebanon-Boscawen • 58 mi • Easy This epic New Hampshire Northern Rail Trail spans the rural center of New Hampshire, winding along river valleys, lake shores and between rolling hillsides. Tackle it all, or just a section of our trail based on our review and annotated elevation profile.
	5★ Sugar River Rail Trail Claremont-Newport • 10-11 mi • Moderate Among the most picturesque rail trails in New Hampshire, the shady Sugar River Rail Trail intertwines with the wide and fast-flowing river from which it is named, over several river crossings including steel truss bridges and historic covered railroad bridges.
	4★ Concord-Lake Sunapee Rail Trail Newbury-Concord • 8 mi • Easy & Moderate The ambitious plan to reconnect Lake Sunapee with New Hampshire's capital city continues section by section. We map and review all of the sections available to explore today.

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Regional Map

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Regional Categories

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• Difficulty	easy   moderate   hard
• Mileage	0-3 miles   3-5 miles   5-7 miles   7-10 miles   10+ miles
• 4+ Star Hikes	0-3 miles   3-5 miles   5-7 miles   7-10 miles   10+ miles

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Best Trails of New Hampshire
See our favorite hiking trails and rail trails for each region of New Hampshire.

New Hampshire Rail Trails
The state's first and only complete rail trail map. Photos, reviews and downloads.

New Hampshire Covered Bridges
Maps, lists, directions and nearby trails to the state's covered bridges.