Sullivan County: Hiking Trails, Nature, and Special Excursions
Accommodation in Sullivan County
Sullivan County combines diverse landscapes with trails, viewpoints, and cultural destinations. Anyone looking for a vacation rental or holiday home for an active stay can plan their trip according to their own interests: short walks through forests and wetlands, longer hikes with mountain views, excursions to Lake Sunapee, or historical discoveries are all possible focuses.
Hiking Trails for Different Day Plans
In Unity, the undeveloped land of Sullivan County covers more than 2,100 acres of forests, fields, streams, wetlands, and mountain views. Trails lead to Sam's Overlook, from which you can see as far as Vermont on clear days. The Unity Mountain Trail is four miles long and conveys both the cultural and natural history of the county. A scenic viewpoint awaits near its summit; birds and other wildlife are frequently spotted along the route.
For a shorter loop, the two-mile Glidden Ridge Trail is a good option. The moderately difficult route passes through northern hardwood forest and hemlock forest and reaches a viewpoint with mountain views. Even more compact is the easy, half-mile Barrette Trail, which follows a loop along wetlands and through an old spruce-fir forest. These differences help with planning your day without every hike having to offer the same experience.
Nature Experiences, Bike Trails, and Winter Days
The Sugar River Recreational Rail Trail runs nine miles between Newport and Claremont along the Sugar River and includes two historic covered bridges. The trail is suitable for hiking, cycling, horseback riding, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. In Claremont, the Sugar River Rail Trail also offers opportunities for hiking, cycling, and birdwatching. Those looking for additional activities can also find opportunities for fishing, gardening, and snowmobiling on designated trails in the Sullivan County lands.
Mount Sunapee State Park offers recreational activities year-round, including alpine skiing at Mt. Sunapee Resort. The Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway and the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway run through the park; they continue via the Summit Trail and the Province Trail to Goshen. The Arrowhead Recreation Area adds seasonal skiing, snow tubing, hiking with views of the city, and a downhill mountain bike trail. At Moody Park, the mountain bike trails range from options for beginners to routes for advanced riders.
Culture, History, and Regional Highlights
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park lies along the Connecticut River north of the town of Cornish in Sullivan County, New Hampshire. It preserves the artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens's home, studios, and gardens. The park includes more than 120 original sculptures as well as the world's largest collection of works by Saint-Gaudens. The buildings are open Thursday through Monday.
The historic Claremont Opera House hosts theater performances, concerts, and community events. Fort at No. 4 illustrates life in Charlestown in the years before and during the French and Indian War through guided and self-guided tours. For a seasonal culinary experience, Sullivan County's Public Cidery in Unity offers apple pressing by appointment from September through October. The pressing process takes about one and a half hours and includes washing, grinding, pressing, filling jugs, and helping clean the equipment.
The Right Location for Planning Your Trip
When looking for a vacation rental in Sullivan County, it is worthwhile to first determine the pace of travel you want. Short trails such as the Barrette Trail, nature observation on the Unity Mountain Trail, or a day focused on culture and history emphasize different things than a trip involving longer hikes, cycling, or winter sports. Lake Sunapee lies between Sullivan County and Merrimack County and has seven sandy beaches and six boat ramps along its eight-mile shoreline. Claremont offers a special travel option: it is home to the only Amtrak station on the western border of New Hampshire where the Vermonter stops.
For further orientation, you can also visit the town pages for Claremont, Sunapee, and Acworth. This makes it possible to combine your search for accommodation with the experiences that are meant to shape your journey through Sullivan County.
For the higher-level travel overview: New Hampshire.
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