Lake Solitude – NH
Mt. Sunapee is primarily known for being a family-friendly ski mountain in Newbury, NH, but Mt. Sunapee is also home to a hidden gem of a hike that often gets overshadowed by more popular hikes like Monadnock, Kearsarge, or the bigger guys in the White Mountains. The views from the summit of Mt. Sunapee are impressive despite being only 2,726 ft, but the real draw of hiking Sunapee is Lake Solitude, a small lake (more of a pond) nestled below rocky cliff just below the summit. We’ve hiked to Lake Solitude dozens of times, and most of the time we forego hiking to the summit of the mountain since Lake Solitude is arguably a more rewarding terminus to the trail.
Hike Summary
Distance: 4.8 miles (Newbury Trail); 3.8 miles (Andrew Brook Trail)
Difficulty: Moderate
Winter Hiking: Read post
Area Map
The Trails
The two most popular routes to Lake Solitude are the Newbury Trail and Andrew Brook Trail (see trail map). The round-trip distance of the hikes are 4.8 miles and 3.8 miles, respectively, and both could be described as moderate in terms of difficulty. There are some steep-ish sections on both trails, but nothing crazy. Overall it’s a very family-friendly hike and we see young kids on the trail all the time.
The Newbury trail can be accessed from Lakeview Ave and Andrew Brook Trail can be accessed from Moutain Rd. (both off of Route 103). Although it’s about a half mile longer each way, we usually prefer the Newbury Trail since it offers some views of Lake Sunapee along the way (see below). The pictures in this post are from a recent hike in mid-April. Although it was in the 60’s and sunny, there was still some lingering ice towards the end of the trail but nothing we couldn’t easily sidestep.
Read More: The Top 10 Hikes in New England
Both trails give you the option to stop by the edge of Lake Solitude or to hike up the cliffs overlooking the lake and the surrounding area. The lake itself is really more of a lillypad-filled pond, but it is still extremely beautiful, particularly from above. The view from the cliff looks directly down on Lake Solitude and is definitely worth the extra 0.10 mile climb from the shore of the lake. From the cliffs, it is about another 0.9 mi to the Sunapee summit (if you see the chairlifts, you’ll know you’re there). The view from the summit of Mt. Sunapee is great, but no one would blame you for calling it a day after reaching Lake Solitude. After spending some time relaxing by the shore or on the cliffs overlooking the lake, it will become clear how the lake got its name.
Another (shorter and easier) pretty hike nearby: Sunset Hill
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Love hearing about your hikes! What is your favourite so far and which one is top of your must do list?
Thanks for reading! Good question…Favorite hike so far is probably Dream Lake. But Mt. Katahdin is another one we love. Top of the must-do list is Kilimanjaro but it might be a while before we get to that.
My husband and I with our 3 dogs made the Newbury hike to lake solitude. Definitely you need to be prepared to hike bring water and light snacks. Very steep and rocky at points.
Pattie & Pete Mello