Area Information

Sunapee is an Algonquin Indian word meaning "wild goose water." The town of Sunapee shares its name with a lake, a mountain and a region, but the summer resort charm inherent here is all its own.

Since the late 1870s, travelers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been attracted to the spring fed Lake Sunapee. Arriving in Sunapee harbor by train, vacationers then boarded steamships to get from one place to another around the lake. Successful resort hotels and family estates dotted the shores of this 10-mile long, 3-mile wide lake.

When the Great Depression occurred, there wasn't much money for summers here in Sunapee, and the steam boats and hotels began to disappear. Not one of the old hotels remain today. A new bandstand in Sunapee harbor marks the spot where once stood the Ben Mere Hotel, one of the last to go. Concerts are held there on Wednesday evenings of July and August, marking the passage of an era long gone.

Today, the resort business has returned to Sunapee and the local economy depends a great deal on tourism. Boats between 16 and 22 feet surf the crystal clear waters. The fishing is great, or you can take sailing and windsurfing lessons in Sunapee harbor. If you didn't bring your own boat then just relax with a narrated cruise on the M.V. Mt. Sunapee or enjoy a buffet dinner and two hour cruise on the floating restaurant the Mt. Kearsarge.

Vacationers enjoy this quaint New England town setting year round. Winters pass quickly when ice fishing, ice skating, cross country and alpine skiing fill your days. In the Lake Sunapee region you can enjoy many special events or simply relax in the peaceful country atmosphere.

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