Mount Sunapee, Newbury NH
• 4-star hikes
• 1.3 to 9.7 mile options
• Medium difficulty | Gain 470 to 2,420 feet
• Newbury, NH | Sunapee Region
• Directions: Summit, Newbury, Andrew, Goshen
Stubbysquatch admiring Lake Solitude beneath 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.
Trailspotting's NH Summits
Are you a peak bagger or looking for the best views? Trailspotting has a growing list of summit hikes.
Are you a peak bagger or looking for the best views? Trailspotting has a growing list of summit hikes.
Eagle's Nest,
Summit, 
Goshen, 
Andrew Br, 
Newbury, 
Wreck. Eagle's Nest 3★1.3 mi, Out & Back, Medium, Gain 470 ft | 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.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
Summit Trail 4★4.5 mi, Out & back, Medium, Gain 1470 ft | Commencing 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. If you want to avoid missing out on the views of Lake Solitude from the White Cliff Overlook then add a further half-mile each-way of moderately level terrain.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
No operations make May and June the quietest time to visit.
Goshen Trail 3★5.0 mi, Out & back, Medium, Gain 1380 ft | 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.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
Andrew Brook 4★5.8 mi, Out & back, Medium, Gain 1690 ft | Hiking up the unspoiled Eastern flanks of Mount Sunapee and through mable 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 the barely noticable White Ledges (2,716ft) peak before continuing with little further elevation change to the 2,726 foot high main peak.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
Newbury Trail 4★6.7 mi, Out & back, Medium, Gain 1980 ft | Beginning on the shores of Lake Sunapee, 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.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
Lake Sunapee' Southern shoreline and the start of Newbury Trail.
Plane Wreck Sidetrip 4★3.0 mi, Out & Back, Medium, Gain 440 ft | 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 - we spotted a bunch of moose scat between trail and airplane, so please be prepared.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
SRK Greenway Section 01, 4★5.7 mi, One Way, Medium, Gain 1860 ft | Not shown on the map for reasons of clarity, this route begins at Newbury Trailhead, summits Mount Sunapee from the Eastern flank of the mountain and then descends on the Western side. Mount Sunapee is one of the three major peaks on the epic 76 mile Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway trail.
Trailspotting Map at AllTrails
1949 wreck of an AT-6 airplane that struck the mountain's Southern flank
Tangents:
• External Links: Sunapee Resort, Airplane Wreck
• Public Maps at AllTrails: Eagle, Summit, Andrew, Newbury
• Facebook Group: Comment on this article
Nearby Trails:
• Show on map: All nearby trails
SRK Greenway
A trail in this article is part of the 76 mile Sunapee Ragged Kearsarge Greenway. Details, maps & downloads in the link.
A trail in this article is part of the 76 mile Sunapee Ragged Kearsarge Greenway. Details, maps & downloads in the link.
