Mt Sunapee, Newbury NH

• 4-star hikes
• 1 to 10 mile options
• Moderate | Gain 470 to 2,420 feet
• Newbury, NH | Sunapee Region
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Two people sitting on a rocky outcrop, overlooking a beautiful landscape. The scene includes a lake surrounded by lush forests and distant hills under a partly cloudy sky.

Lake Solitude views from White Ledges, below Sunapee's summit.

Mount Sunapee hosts many activities from skiing to mountain biking and archery, but it also has much to offer in terms of hiking opportunities. Highlights of this mountain are the summit views over Lake Sunapee and the picturesque mountain scenes from White Cliff Overlook above the highland Lake Solitude. We've plotted and reviewed all the ways up and around Mount Sunapee to help you choose the best hike for you.

The shortest route is Summit Trail that starts at the ski resort entrance. However, we prefer Newbury Trail that starts by the lakeside caboose and includes Lake Solitude - it's longer than Summit Trail, but much less rocky than Andrew Brook trail. Below we list, rate and include maps for each of the Mount Sunapee routes.
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4★ Summit Trail 4.5 mi out-and-back, moderate, gain 1,470 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

3★ Goshen Trail 5.0 mi out-and-back, moderate, gain 1,690 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

4★ Andrew Brook Trail 5.8 mi out-and-back, moderate, gain 1,690 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

4★ Newbury Trail 6.7 mi out-and-back, moderate, gain 1,980 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

3★ Eagle's Nest 1.3 mi out-and-back, moderate, gain 470 ft
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

Summit Trail
Shortest summit route.
Starting at the Mount Sunapee resort, this is the shortest route to the summit, scaling the mountain's West flanks and travelling mostly through pine forest. You can also visit White Ledges and views of Lake Solitude by following the Solitude Trail for a further half-mile each way with moderately level terrain.

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Goshen Trail
Rougher summit trail, few views.
Start by a gated road and follow this often muddy and rocky route towards the summit. Offering little in views and less well maintained than the other trails, we prefer the Summit Trail.

This image shows three people hiking along a lush forest trail. The path is well-trodden, with visible roots and rocks, surrounded by vibrant green foliage.

Solitude Trail between summit and White Ledges.

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Andrew Brook
Summit & White Ledges.
Hiking up the unspoiled Eastern flanks of Mount Sunapee and through maple forest, this rocky trail steadily negotiates a shallow valley carved by Andrew Brook until it reaches the source, the picturesque highland Lake Solitude. From here the trail ascends to White Ledges which offers excellent vistas, before continuing along the mostly level Solitude Trail to the 2,726 foot high main peak.

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Newbury Trail
Summit & White Ledges. Longer.
Beginning on the shores of Lake Sunapee is a perfect place to begin a hike. You'll need to briefly walk up a couple of roads before the trail proper. Cross a creek and follow the orange blazes up the hill through forests mixed with both deciduous and pine trees. A less rocky but longer alternative to the Andrew Brook Trail, the Newbury Trail also includes Lake Solitude which is one of the highlights of this mountain.

An empty chairlift silhouetted on a bright blue sky. In the distance below the blue of the sky is reflected in Lake Sunapee.

A chairlift services the summit on summer weekends.

Eagle's Nest
Marginal lake views. No summit.
Perhaps there was once a great view of Lake Sunapee at the end of this shorter trail, but when we were there it was overgrown and providing marginal lake views. We wouldn't recommend this trail unless you're looking for some brief exercise in nature, away from Newbury and the Southern shores of the lake.

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Airplane Wreck Side Trip
Starting from Lake Solitude
The wreck of the AT-6 airplane that struck the Southern flanks of Sunapee in 1949 killing its single occupant is still highly visible. We've identified a route to reach the site beginning at Lake Solitude, following the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail then bushwacking through light forest and level terrain due West for a further twenty minutes. The plane wreck route is around one-and-a-half miles each way from Lake Solitude, or 2 miles each way from the summit of Mount Sunapee. Be aware of the risks of bushwacking, which requires confidence in wayfinding and an increased likelihood of wildlife encounters - we spotted a bunch of moose scat near the crash site.

Airplane Wreck Side Trip 3.0 mi out-and-back, medium, gain 440 ft
AllTrails · GPX File

This image shows the wreckage of a military aircraft in a wooded area. The fuselage is largely intact but severely damaged, and the surrounding area is littered with debris. The aircraft bears the insignia of the United States Navy.

1949 wreck of an AT-6 airplane that struck the mountain's Southern flanks

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SRK Greenway Section 01
Start of a 76 mile trail
Starting at Lake Sunapee, ascend the Newbury Trail and come back down on the Summit Trail where you can pick up the SRK's second section. This is not shown on our map for reasons of clarity. For more information on the epic 76 mile Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway Trail, see our links below.

SRK Greenway Section 01 5.7 mi one way, medium, gain 1,860 ft.
AllTrails · GPX File · Directions

This image is an aerial view of a scenic lakeside area. There are several docks extending into the water with boats moored to them. Surrounding the lake, there are buildings that appear to be part of a resort or recreational facility, with roads and parked cars visible. The backdrop features forested hills and a clear sky,

Lake Sunapee' Southern shoreline and the start of Newbury Trail.

Tangents:
• Sunapee Resort: Mount Sunapee
• Archive.org: Airplane Wreck
• Public Maps at AllTrails: Eagle, Summit, Andrew, Newbury
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article

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