Near
the top of Mount Sunapee, about a mile hike from the
summit lodge, is Lake Solitude. This small isolated
lake is in the crater of an ancient volcano. You can
reach the lake with about a two hour hike from several
trail heads at the base of the mountain.
There
are four trails that lead to the lake from the base
of Mt. Sunapee.
The
Newbury Trail begins at Newbury Harbor for a steep
3 mile route to the Jack & June Junction, marked
by a signpost, where you can turn left to the lake
or continue up the hill to the White Ledges that overlook
the lake, for one of the most spectacular views around.
The
Jack & June Junction also intersects with the
Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail and the Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge
Greenway Trail.
The
Andrew Brook Trail starts at a trail head about 3⁄4
mile up Mountain Road. This is the toughest trail
to the summit because it crosses numerous streams that
have
eroded the trail so much that there are only
piles of exposed rock for much of the trail.
The
Province Road Trail starts at the top of Old Province
Road, next to the top of the Mt.
Sunapee
South Peak
chairlift. This is the smoothest and least-used
of the summit foot
trails. It leads to the summit ski lodge.
To
get to Lake Solitude from there you have to go down
the Porky’s Trail 2/10 mile to the Lake Solitude
Trail on your right, and follow the trail
for one mile.
You
may also hike the Mt. Sunapee service road up to the
junction of the Lake Solitude
Trail.
Just
follow
the campsite signs as you enter the Mt.
Sunapee Ski Area. Half-way up the mountain, just
after the camping
area
and near the base of the Sun Bowl chairlift,
you will see signs for the Lake Solitude
Trail. Continue
up
the service road to where it intersects
with Porky's Trail
near the summit to find the junction of
the Lake Solitude Trail on your left.
In
addition to the unforgettable view from the White Ledges,
you can make your way
down to the
lakeshore
to the campsite where you will find a
fire ring and a battered
old rowboat that some very motivated
hikers carried in. You could take it out for a
row but the bottom
has been
patched many times and the craft will
leak.
Tip: Allow at least 5 hours for the hike – 2 hours
each way, and you will want to rest and spend at least
an hour at Lake Solitude and White Ledges.
