Patios that put out a water bowl without being asked. Trails that don't require leashes when nobody's looking. Breweries with a yard. Beaches off-season.
A hiking route up Mount Sunapee to Lake Solitude, a small mountain pond near the summit that most summer visitors never learn exists because they only know the mountain as a ski hill. The trail runs through dense forest with real elevation change rather than a groomed ski-trail grade. Figure close to four miles round trip combined with the connecting summit trails. Bring water — there's no summer store at the top the way there is in ski season.
A short, steep mile to the summit of Mount Kearsarge from the picnic area, with a 1.75-mile loop option for the way down. The payoff is a clear view of Mount Sunapee, Ragged Mountain, and Pleasant Lake from open granite at the top — one of the better return-on-effort hikes in the region. Opens weekends only in early May, full-time from Memorial Day. Day-use runs $4 for adults, free for NH residents 65 and up.
Under half a mile, moderate grade, and it delivers one of the better views of Lake Sunapee anywhere in the region — a clearing opening south down the lake and out toward the surrounding hills. The 14-acre property was once part of a carriage-road estate; a stretch of that old road is still the trail. Open year-round on foot; the Town of New London issues gate keys for vehicle access through the town office.
Thirty-seven acres off Chalk Pond Road leading to the summit of Sunset Hill, where the clearing opens north toward Lake Sunapee, Croydon Peak, Mount Cardigan, and the White Mountains on a clear day. The land was slated for condominiums before a 1998 preservation effort saved it, named for conservationist Bill Kidder Jr. The trail connects into the larger Hay Forest Reservation for anyone who wants to keep walking past the summit.
A 9.5-mile rail trail running from Newport to Claremont along the old Sugar River Railroad corridor, crossing the river seven times including two covered bridges built for the rail line rather than cars. The Newport end, off Belknap Avenue, is the closer access point from the lake, about fifteen minutes out. Surface is ballast and gravel with soft sand in spots — a mountain bike handles it better than a road bike.