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» THE LAKES REGION TOUR
Getting Started
From quaint small towns, to its
biggest city, to its magnificent views, this 97 mile route will
explore the best of the Lakes Region's character. First off, you
will need the route.
Click here
to download the map.
Alton to Gilford
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest
and most popular lake in New Hampshire and certainly one of the most
scenic. Beginning in Alton, at the southern gateway to the Lakes
Region, the route follows NH 11 north through Alton Bay up through
Gilford. The Alton area became one of the earliest tourist
destinations around the lake with the arrival of rail in the later
half of the 19th century. This western side of the lake shows off
exceptional views of the lake and Ossipee Range and offers many
different recreational opportunities. Take a hike up to the summit
of Mt. Major for wonderful sights of the Lake and surrounding
mountain ranges or stop in at Ellacoya State Park for a picnic or a
swim.
Laconia to Meredith
Weirs Beach, with its amusement
parks, arcades, and shopping, is one of the most popular family
resort areas in the state. This area of the Lakes Region Tour is
always bustling with activity. A few miles to the north, view scenic
gateways to Meredith's traditional New England village with a
panorama of Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains. Meredith is
also a visitor hub and a crossroads for the Byway. Continue north
towards Holderness for beautiful views of Squam Lake and the
Rattlesnake Range or head east and continue the other half of the
tour around Lake Winnipesaukee.
Center Harbor to Moultonboro
Following the route clockwise, take
Route 25 through Meredith and Center Harbor towards Moultonborough.
Or for a less traveled route, take NH 25B from Meredith east to
Center Harbor. This route winds through the hills north of
Winnipesaukee and is a less traveled alternative to Route 25.
Downtown Center Harbor, near the convergence of NH 25 and 25B, is a
quaint town on the north edge of Winnipesaukee. This area has
retained much of its charm and offers great views to the south. The
eastern side of Winnipesaukee is not as developed as the western
side, and as you continue through Moultonborough and onto The Lakes
Region offers something for everyone including boating, hiking,
fishing, shopping and much more. The Lakes Tour circles New
Hampshire’s largest lake, Lake Winnipesaukee and offers tremendous
views of the surrounding mountains and lakes. Tuftonboro, the
landscape becomes more rural.
Tuftonboro to Wolfeboro
Heading back around towards Alton
you will pass the site of the Wentworth Estate and the Libby Museum.
John Wentworth, the last royal governor of New Hampshire, envisioned
four key routes necessary for the economic development of his
province. One of these was to run from his summer estate in
Wolfeboro to the new Dartmouth College in Hanover. Wentworth saw an
east-west road as a necessity to prevent the loss of revenue from
goods produced in New Hampshire’s Coos region (in the north) which
traveled south to Connecticut (by river) given the absence of roads.
The eastern leg, from Wolfeboro to the Pemigewasset River in
Holderness, was cut out for horse travel in 1771-1773. This ancient
route coincides closely with sections of the Lakes Region Tour. In
fact, portions of it now in use in Wolfeboro, Center Harbor and
Holderness are still named "College Road."
