NEW HAMPSHIRE - Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee

This park sits on the western slope of Mount Cardigan, offering sweeping scenery. A scenic road leads to the picnic area. Trails offer visitors hiking in warmer weather, and cross-country skiing in the winter.

This park offers visitors a picnic area and walking trails along a babbling brook and the ruined foundation of a 19th century mill.

The 4,085-acre lake at the park is ideal for family and group outings and for fishing, boating, swimming, and picnicking. The beach has a store, a playground, and a bathhouse. Rentals of canoes and kayaks. A boat launch is available. Open weekends only starting in late May, then daily from late June through early September; then weekends only until late September 24. Call or check Web site for exact opening and closing dates. Admission fee.

This wooded park offers canoeing on May Pond, fishing areas in both the pond and nearby streams, hiking trails into nearby mountains, and a picnic area. Wintertime activities available include snowmobile trails and cross-country skiing. There is a public campsite available. Pets are allowed.

Take the scenic drive up the southern side of Mount Kearsarge. There are picnic sites and another half mile hiking trail to get to the very top and enjoy the view.

Discover the beautiful home, studios and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America’s greatest sculptors. Over 100 of his artworks can be seen in the galleries, from heroic public monuments to expressive portrait reliefs, and the gold coins which changed the look of American coinage. Enjoy summer concerts and explore the gardens and nature trails.
Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), created over 150 works of art, from exquisitely carved cameos to heroic-size public monuments. Works such as the "Standing Lincoln" monument and the Shaw Memorial, continue to inspire people today and his design for the 1907 Twenty Dollar Gold Piece, is considered America's most beautiful coin.
Hours: Memorial Day weekend to October 31, exhibit buildings are open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the grounds are open during daylight hours; November through late May, the exhibit buildings are closed, but the park Visitor Center is open most weekdays, 8:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
Admission: Adults age 16 and older, $5.

Swimming on Kezar Lake. Tall pine groves shade the picnic sites adjacent to the beach. Amenities include a bathhouse, picnic tables, and playing fields. The park is open weekends only starting in late May, then daily from late June through early September. Call or check Web site for exact opening and closing dates. Admission fee.

Park along the northwest slope of Mount Kearsarge features hiking and walking trails, scenic views, a scenic drive to the picnic area. The summit is reached via a one mile hiking trail. Pets are allowed.