Mount Sunapee New Hampshire Hike Review
Mount Sunapee is an out and back hike with several options to choose from while ascending. A more secluded way to hike Mount Sunapee is via the Andrew Brook trail which also passes by Lake Solitude and the White Ledges, a beautiful lake along the way.
Mount Sunapee Quick Facts
Mount Sunapee Rating: ★★★ (3.5/5 Stars)
Distance: 6.5 Miles RT (4.25 Miles RT to White Ledges)
Elevation Start: 1,381 ft
Highest Point: 2,675 ft
Total Elevation Gain: 1,332 ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 3-4 Hours RT
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: May – December (expect snow outside of this period)
Directions to Mount Sunapee
Trailhead: Andrew Brook
Getting Here: From 89, take exit 9 towards Warner/Bradford. From here, continue on 103 for 12 miles. After 12 miles, take Mountain Road (on your left) and continue on for another 1.2 miles or so until you reached the small parking area and signed trailhead on your right. You can enter in Andrew Brook trail into your favorite navigational device.
Fees: N/A
Parking: Parking for Mount Sunapee is somewhat limited. There is room for about 10 cars in a small pull off along Mountain Road, otherwise, you will have to park on the side of the road itself. There are no bathrooms at the trailhead.
Summary
Camping: There are no camping options along the Andrew Brook trail to Mount Sunapee. However, if you are looking to camp in the area, Mount Sunapee has a campground on the other side of the mountain. Find out more information here.
Dogs: The hike up Mount Sunapee is dog friendly and a perfect hike to bring a dog along.
Make it a Loop: Mount Sunapee is an out and back hike via the Andrew Brook trail. However, you could easily make it a loop to another TH or extend your hike. View a complete map of the area here.
Trail X Factors: Bugs
Like many hikes in New Hampshire, the bugs can make or break your experience on the trail. Mount Sunapee is lower in elevation, so unlike some mountains farther up north, you don’t leave the forest for the majority of this hike. This means that if the bugs are out, you are breakfast lunch and dinner. Bring some bug spray, long clothing or a head net if you want to have less blood sucked from your body.
Hike Tip(s): During your hike up Mount Sunapee be sure to stop at the White Ledges. This little side trail takes about two minutes out of your standard hike and allows you to enjoy wonderful views of Lake Solitude and the surrounding hills.
Best Views: While hiking Mount Sunapee, I was unfortunately not able to make it to the summit due to time constraints. However, I can say that views from Lake Solitude and the White Ledges were both outstanding.
Mount Sunapee Hike Route
Didn’t Make it all the way up to Mount Sunapee – Stopped at the White Ledges
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Booths (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Bug Spray or Bug Net
- Food & Water
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Headlamp
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
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Our Trip to Mount Sunapee: June 2018
When visiting my parents home in New Hampshire, we wanted to take Juno on a walk outside of the road that their house is located on. Unlike in Colorado, there are not a ton of parks around around, so we needed a change of pace. A quick google search later, I found Sunapee Mountain, about 30 minutes from their house. We hopped in the car on a Sunday morning and found the trailhead after a short drive. When we arrived to the trailhead, there were about 6-8 other cars, but the hiked definitely seemed not as popular though.
We packed our bags, coated our skin in smelly bug repellent and hit the trail. After living outside of New Hampshire for over a decade, I forgot about how bad the bugs can be. Mosquitoes circled Juno, Jackie and I, searching for their next meal. Although the bugs were bad, we kept a quick pace to keep many of them in the dust. Outside of the mosquitoes, it was a beautiful day for hiking; the sun was shining and the weather was mild.
The trail started off through some maple sap lines on a wide dirt path. As we continued along, we reached the typical New Hampshire hiking terrain: a rocky path working up a steep hill. Though we did pass along a couple of groups of people, they were all coming down from Mount Sunapee making for a quiet and peaceful hike through the woods. After a while, we reached a small wooden step ladder which broke up the otherwise monotonous trail. About 2 miles into our hike up Mount Sunapee, we reached the small Lake Solitude. It appeared to be a spot where people floated around the lake, swam and fished. We entered a massive swarm of dragonflies who were soaking up the sun. I hoped to see signs of moose, but no luck on this trip.
We continued past Lake Solitude and up towards the White Ledges where we took in some beautiful aerial views of Lake Solitude and the surrounding mountains and hills. I knew that the trail continued up towards Mount Sunapee, but we were running out of time as we had to get back home for a BBQ. I decided to cut our hike short and head back to the trailhead, leaving our final destination of Mount Sunapee about 1 mile away. It wasn’t the end of the world, but I always have a hard time not completing something that I start.
Whether your plan is to hike all the way to Mount Sunapee or just to the White Cliffs of Lake Solitude, the hike up Andrew Brook trail is a nice quick hike in the wilderness of Sunapee State Park. This is a hike I would recommend for families, dog owners and those looking to do a quick hike in central New Hampshire.
