Alton
Alton was originally called New Durham Gore because of the rocky upland areas or “gores”. Early Alton history shows that the courts would petition eight times to change the town’s name and finally in 1796, the community was named Alton, in honor of a prominent family. The Incorporation Ceremony took place the following March. Today, the villages of Alton which include Alton Bay, East Alton, Mount Major, South Alton and West Alton, are home to an estimated 5,000 plus residents. Alton has maintained a country atmosphere but is within commuting distance to Manchester and Pease International Airport. The M/S Mount Washington comes into port in Alton Bay, picking up passengers at the old railroad station. In addition, hikers can pick blueberries on their way to the top of Mt Major and Straightback Mountain and will be rewarded with spectacular views from the summits.
For more Information on Alton go to:
Public, Town & State Beaches in Alton:
Alton Town Beach, Route 28A, Alton Bay
Swim Dock, Route 11, Alton Bay Town Dock
Center Harbor
Center Harbor was incorporated in 1797 after it separated from New Hampton. The town is named Center Harbor for two reasons: because of its location centered between Meredith and Moultonborough harbors, and because of the Senter Family. The Senter family settled in the area around 1793 and owned a large amount of property in the town. Center Harbor became a landing place for lake steamers and stagecoaches, making it a popular summer resort, which it remains today. In fact, the M/S Mount Washington, the largest boat on Lake Winnipesaukee still makes Center harbor its winter home every year. Some notable past and present inhabitants of Center Harbor include Brad Leighton, former NASCAR Racer, Penny Pitou, Olympic downhill skier, and Dudley Leavitt, author of the first Farmers Almanac.
For More Information on Center Harbor go to: www.centerharbornh.org/
Public, Town & State Beaches in Center Harbor:
Center Harbor Town Beach, Route 25, Center Harbor
Gilford
Originally part of Gilmanton, Gilford was incorporated as a separate town in 1812. The town was to be named “Guilford” after the influential Revolutionary War battle at the Guilford courthouse in North Carolina. However, the town was spelled incorrectly in the incorporation document. The town is located in central New Hampshire on the southern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee and the northern slopes of the Belknap Mountains. The town’s motto is “The Recreation Center of New Hampshire”. With boating, fishing, hiking & biking in the summer, and cross country & downhill skiing, snow tubing and snow boarding at Gunstock Recreational Area in the winter, it is an appropriate slogan.
For More Information on Gilford go to:
Also Home of Gunstock Ski Area
Public, Town & State Beaches in Gilford
Ellacoya State Pa4rk, Route 11, Gilford
Gilford Town Beach, Varney Point Rd, Gilford
Laconia
Laconia, New Hampshire “The City on the Lakes” includes the villages of Lakeport & Weirs Beach. Laconia was incorporated in 1855, established as a city in 1893 and is now the 9th largest city in the State of New Hampshire. Laconia is home to the Laconia Motorcycle Week (aka Bike Week) held each June and the Laconia World Champion Sled Dog Derby held every winter. Currently a 4-season tourist destination, Laconia was once booming with many manufacturing mills, the most notable being the Belknap Mill. Restored, but nearly unaltered, the Belknap Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks and is the oldest such structure in the United States.
For more information on Laconia go to:
Weirs Beach
Public, Town & State Beaches in Laconia & Weirs Beach:
Ahern State Park, off Route 106, Laconia
Bartlett Beach, Winnisquam Avenue, Laconia
Bond Beack, Bell Street, Laconia
Opechee park Cove Beach, N Main St, Rte 106, Laconia
Opechee Point Beach, N Main St, Rte 106, Laconia
Endicott Park, Route 3 Weirs Beach
Meredith
Meredith, a charming NH town, features an exquisite combination of lake & mountain scenery including a scenic waterfront park & town dock. There are several award winning inns, fine restaurants, specialty stores, antique shops & galleries. There are numerous craft festivals, fishing derbies and chowder fest events. Known as the Latchkey to the White Mountains, Meredith is approximately a 2 hr drive from any metropolitan area such as Boston, Worcester, Montpelier, or Portland. Meredith offers a great variety of yr round activities. Summer recreation includes hiking, golfing, tennis & water sports such as boating, sailing, water skiing, swimming, yachting, fishing, and wave runners. Winter activities include cross country trails, snowmobiling, ice skating, ice fishing, ice sailing and winter hiking. The Inns & Spa at Mills Falls include four unique country Inns with 156 designer rooms surrounded by a restored 19th Century Mill converted into shops, galleries and restaurants with a 40ft waterfall. Beautiful Lake Waukewan provides the water supply for the town. Meredith has recently added a state of the art community center and new police station.
For more information on Meredith go to:
Public, Town & State Beaches in Meredith
Leavitt Park, Veasey Shore Rd off Rte 25, Meredith
Waukewan Beach, Waukewan St, Meredith
Moultonborough
Moultonboro was incorporated in 1777 and includes the areas of Clarks Landing, Lees Mill, Moultonborough Falls, States Landing & Winnipesaukee. Some more notable past inhabitants include the poets, Robert Frost and John Greenleaf Whittier, who both took up summer residences in Moultonboro. Thomas Gustave Plant, an industrialist who made a fortune manufacturing shoes, also lived in Moultonboro. His stone mansion is now the famous and popular tourist attraction “Castle in the Clouds.” Moultonboro is also home to the Loon Center and Markus Wildlife Sanctuary. Moultonboro offers a variety of recreational activities: Boating, fishing, swimming, biking, golf & tennis in the summer; ice fishing, skating, snowmobiling, & cross country skiing in the winter
For more information on Moultonboro go to:
Public, Town & State Beaches in Moultonboro
Long Island Beach, Long Island Rd, Moultonboro Neck
State Landing Beach, State Landing Rd, off Rte 109, Moultonboro
Sandwich
Laying on the edge of Squam Lake, the famous pond in the movie “On Golden Pond”, Sandwich is nestled between the lakes Region and the foot hills of the White Mountains. Sandwich was chartered in 1763 in honor of the fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montague. Because the area was considered so inaccessible, the grant was enlarged making Sandwich one of the largest towns in New Hampshire. Sandwich is home to the Sandwich Mountain, at just over 3,900 feet above sea level, as well as the popular Sandwich Fair held every fall and the Sandwich Notch Dog Sled Race held every winter.
For more Information on Sandwich go to:
Public, Town & State Beaches in Sandwich:
Town Beach at Squam Lake
Bear Camp Beach
The Pot Hole Swim Area, on the Cold River
Beede’s Falls, Sandwich Notch
Tuftonboro
Nestled between the Ossipee Mountains and Lake Winnipesaukee, Tuftonboro has miles of winding back roads, rolling fields, and beautiful scenic views of the Ossipee Mountains for all to enjoy. Known as the “Diamond in the Heart of New Hampshire”, the town includes the villages of Tuftonboro Corner, Center Tuftonboro, Mirror Lake, Melvin Corner, and Melvin Village. Melvin Village is located on Melvin Bay, a popular summer vacation spot and considered one of the most peaceful retreats on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee. Winnipesaukee has 274 Islands with 27 of them located in Tuftonboro. It is also a popular spot for antique shopping. Tuftonboro is also home to the highest peak in the Ossipee Mountain Range, Mount Shaw at nearly 3,000 feet above sea level.
For more information on Tuftonboro go to:
Public, Town & State Beaches in Tuftonboro:
Nineteen Mile Bay Beach, Rte 109, Tuftonboro
Twenty Mile Bay Beach, Rte 109 East, Tuftonboro
Melvin Village Town Beach, Wharf Rd off Rte 109, Melvin Village
Wolfeboro
Wolfeboro is known as “The Oldest Summer Resort in America” because Colonial Governor John Wentworth built the first summer country estate in northern New England, known as “Kingswood”, in 1771 beside what is now called Lake Wentworth. Although still a very popular summer destination, Wolfeboro has also become an established year round community. There are countless summer activities to take pleasure in, like sailing, water skiing, swimming, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving as well as hiking, biking & golf. But there are also many winter activities to enjoy, such as cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating, ice fishing and sled dog races.
For More information on Wolfeboro go to:
Public, Town & State Beaches in Wolfeboro
Allen “A” Beach, Route 28 North, Wolfeboro
Brewster Beach, Clark Rd off S Main St, Wolfeboro
Carry Beach, Forest Rd off N Main St, Wolfeboro
Wentworth State Park, Rte 109E, Wolfeboro
Winter Harbor, Wolfeboro Neck, Wolfeboro
