Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region, Recreational region in western New Hampshire, United States.
The Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region is a recreational area in western New Hampshire, stretching along the Connecticut River Valley and taking in lakes, forests, and low mountain ridges. Lake Sunapee and Mount Kearsarge are the most prominent natural landmarks, with towns like Hanover, Lebanon, and Claremont spread across the valley floor.
In the late 1800s, wealthy families from eastern cities began building summer estates along Lake Sunapee, drawn by the cooler climate and the scenery. Dartmouth College in Hanover, founded in 1769, had already given the region a role in education long before it became a destination for leisure.
The Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish opens the studios and gardens of sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to visitors today. Walking through the grounds gives a direct sense of how he worked and lived during his most productive years.
Interstate 89 runs through the region and is the easiest way to reach the main towns from the north or south. The busiest times are autumn, when the foliage draws many visitors, and winter weekends around Mount Sunapee Resort.
The Cornish-Windsor Bridge, built in 1866, is one of the longest covered wooden bridges in the United States and still carries traffic across the Connecticut River today. It connects New Hampshire to Vermont and uses a double-span Town lattice truss, a design that few surviving bridges still show.
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