DISTANCE: 25 Miles

HIGHLIGHTS: State Beach, Wildlife Refuge, Scenic Shoreline, Boat Tours and Year-round Recreation

Early European settlers were drawn to the Sunapee area’s rich natural resources as were Native Americans, and tourism has been an important part of life in this area for the trains at Newbury Harbor to deliver passengers and freight all around the 9-mile long lake. Today, the scene has changed, and where once there were grand hotels and boarding houses, now are yearround homes and summer cottages.

NEWBURY. Newbury has long been a popular summer vacation spot, and the population triples in the summer. Along this route, stop in at the new Bell Cove Caboose, a caboose renovated as a small interpretive center along the byway. Along NH 103 you might also want to stop off at Sunapee State Beach or at Mount Sunapee Resort, a popular ski and winter sports area. From the top of Mount Sunapee you can look westward into Vermont or look north toward the fabled Franconia Range, and on a clear day, view Mount Washington in the Presidential Range. The Fells Historic Site at the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge is part of 876 protected acres of a forest country estate. This site along Route 103A includes perennial and woodland gardens, hiking trails and abundant wildlife. Escape for a while This 25 mile route borders Lake Sunapee and is a slower paced and beautiful alternative to Interstate 89. Visitors and residents alike know that Lake Sunapee is a destination in itself. Year-round recreational opportunities abound, including boating, biking, swimming, snowmobiling, downhill and cross-country skiing, ice-boating and maple-sugaring. Local residents take pride in Lake Sunapee for its exceptional water quality and beauty. Protection efforts have enabled Lake Sunapee to consistently be named one of the cleanest lakes in the state.

SUNAPEE. Sunapee Harbor, along Route 11, is the heart of the Sunapee region and is a great place to stop and take in the area’s heritage, culture and natural beauty. Go for a walk on the "greenway" or take one of the guided boat tours offered on Lake Sunapee. Also visit the Sunapee Scenic Byway Information Booth on Route 11 for information about other activities in the area.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Newbury’s Bell Cove Caboose Information Center and the Sunapee Scenic Byway Information Booth are open seasonally from Memorial Day thru Columbus Day.

REGIONAL CONTACTS:
www.newburynh.org
www.town.sunapee.nh.us

New London-Lake Sunapee Region Chamber PO Box 532 New London, NH 03257 (603) 526-6575 / (800) 877-526-6575 www.lakesunapeenh.org


SPECIAL THANKS TO:

NH Office of State Planning, Scenic and Cultural Byways Program
2 1/2 Beacon Street, Concord, NH 03301 (603) 271-2155
www.state.nh.us/osp/scenicbyways.htm