SQUAM LAKE

Squam Lake is a lake located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, south of the White Mountains, straddling the borders of Grafton, Carroll, and Belknap counties. The largest town center on the lake is Holderness. The lake is located northwest of much larger Lake Winnipesaukee.

It drains via a short natural channel into Little Squam Lake, and then through a dam at the head of the short Squam River into the Pemigewasset at Ashland. Covering 6,791 acres (27.48 km2), Squam is the second-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire.

Squam Lake was originally called Keeseenunknipee, which meant "the goose lake in the highlands". The white settlers that followed shortened the name to "Casumpa", "Kusumpy" and/or "Kesumpe" around 1779. In the early 19th century, the lake was given another Abenaki name, Asquam, which means "water". Finally, in the early 20th century, Asquam was shortened to its present version, Squam.

The 1981 film On Golden Pond was filmed in the town of Center Harbor on Squam Lake. There are two tour boat services on the lake, both based in Holderness. One is Experience Squam, a private charter, and the other is the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. Both services show filming locations and items of natural significance.

Squam Lake is a nesting site for common loons and is a good place to see them in breeding plumage during the summer months. Bald eagles and great blue herons are also known to nest on the lake.

The lake is classified as a cold- and warmwater fishery, with observed species including rainbow trout, landlocked salmon, lake trout, lake whitefish, smallmouth and largemouth bass, chain pickerel, horned pout, and white perch.

Mountain Range Information

West Rattlesnake Mountain

For many this will be a great intro to hiking in the mountains . at only 1 mile each way and well maintained with steps to help it is a good family hike. the views of Squam Lake the islands that dot it and the mountains in the distance are not to be missed. I use it as a tune up going from flat RI to hiking in the mountains.

Address: Rt. 113, Holderness, NH 03245

Mountain Morgan and mount percival loop

Mount Morgan Trail is a 3.9 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Center Sandwich, New Hampshire that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking and nature trips and is best used from April until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Mount Livermore

Overlooking Squam Lake, Mt Livermore is at the heart of a small trail system managed by the Squam Lakes Association which maintains over 50 miles of near Holderness, New Hampshire, on the southwestern corner of White Mountains. Mt Livermore is well worth the gentle climb to its summit, providing beautiful views of Squam Lake, nearby Red Hill, and other peaks in the Squam Range.

The trails surrounding Mt Livermore including the Cotton Mountain Trail, the Prescott Trail, Old Mountain Road, and the Old Highway  are mentioned in the AMC’s White Mountain Guide, but not listed on any of the region’s maps, making them somewhat challenging to discover and find. I hope you’ll find this guide useful because Mt Livermore is an excellent picnic destination suitable for children and the surrounding trails are worth a half-day ramble to hike and enjoy.

Skiing Resort Information

The Squam Lake area is an easy drive to many major ski areas. Easy access to I-93 and less than an hour drive to Loon Mountain Resort, Cannon Mountain, Waterville Valley and Bretton Woods, as well as several smaller mountains.

Waterville Valley Resort

Waterville Valley is a ski resort in the northeast United States, located in the White Mountain National Forest of New Hampshire. Built on Mount Tecumseh, with a summit elevation of 4,004 feet (1,220 m) above sea level, the ski trails extend to a high point on the south ridge of the mountain at 3,840 feet (1,170 m), offering a vertical drop of 2,020 feet (615 m). The ski area has 11 lifts, including two high-speed quads and is located in the town of the same name. The slopes primarily face east and northeast.

In addition to downhill skiing, the resort offers 46 miles (74 km) of Nordic skiing, plus golf, nationally-ranked tennis courts, a skateboard park, a year-round ice arena, hiking, biking, and water sports.

Address: Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, U.S.
Call: 1-800-GO-VALLEY (468-2553), or locally at (603) 236-8311

Tenny Mountain Resort

Team TENNEY has big plans for the future of our beautiful mountain! We understand that our success depends on the happiness and health of the community and environment that surrounds us, and so our focus is not only on bringing the existing mountain features to their full, year-round potential, but also on creating new and exciting projects that will better the community at large. Stay tuned for more information regarding our plans for the future. We're confident you're going to like them!

Address: 151 TENNEY Mountain Road, Plymouth, NH 03264
Call: 603-238-9609

Gunstock Mountain Resort

Gunstock Mountain Resort, originally known as Belknap Mountain Recreation Area, is a sports complex located on Gunstock Mountain in Gilford, New Hampshire. Constructed by the Works Progress Administration, it was completed in 1937 and is owned by Belknap County. Activities include alpine and cross-country skiing, snow tubing, ski jumping, snowshoeing, hiking, swimming, and skateboarding.

Address: PO Box 1307, Laconia, NH 03247-1307
Call: 603-293-4341

Private Schools

Holderness School

Holderness School fosters equally in each student the resources of the mind, body, and spirit in the creation of a caring community, inspiring all to work for the betterment of humankind and God’s creation. Holderness School will redefine leadership and intellectual development, preparing all for their journeys in a changing world.

A code of honor supports the trust we place in each other. It commits us to working together to build a community based on honesty, respect, responsibility, and trust. Being honorable means doing what is right, even if no one will ever know, and even if it comes at a personal cost.

In a small school like Holderness, the relationships between all members of the community are vital as we strive to be a culture of honor and integrity. Guiding principles of the Honor Code are honesty, respect, responsibility, and trust. We have to build this culture of honor, integrity and care in the school; it doesn’t just exist because we want it to or because we have an honor code. We make community. We build it not only by doing our best to abide by the community expectations and rules, but also by myriad other small and large things we do each day.

Address: 33 CHAPEL LANE, HOLDERNESS NH, 03245
Call: 603-536-1257

New Hampton School

New Hampton School is an independent college preparatory high school in New Hampton, New Hampshire, United States. It has 305 students from over 30 states and 22 countries. The average class size is eleven, and the student-faculty ratio is five to one. New Hampton School does not require a uniform.

New Hampton School is a member of the Independent Schools Association of Northern New England and is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The school became an International Baccalaureate World School in 2010.

Address: 70 Main Street, New Hampton NH, 03256
Call: (603)-677-3400

Golf Courses

Waterville Valley Golf Course

A Private, 18-hole Clive Clark championship course that offers the golf experience of a lifetime - again and again. A stunning 700 mountain acres shelter almost 7,000 yards of magic. From magnificent bent grass tees and fairways to elegant greens, an exquisite experience nurtured by state-of-the-art technologies and the game's premier staff professionals. Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club, the way golf should be enjoyed!

Address: One Lake Winnipesaukee Drive, New Durham, NH 03855
Phone: 603-569-3055

owls nest resort

The community fostered here is what makes Owl’s Nest the resort like no other. No matter the season, we are active, curious, open-minded individuals who pursue new experiences, build lasting relationships, and learn about ourselves.

Address: 40 Clubhouse Lane, Thornton, NH 03285
Call: 603-726-3076

White Mountain Country Club

Come enjoy our 18-hole, championship course designed by renowned golf course architect, Geoffrey Cornish. Nestled along the Pemigewassett River, this user-friendly layout features wide, manicured fairways, strategically placed bunkers, and soft velvet bent grass greens. Golfers of all abilities will enjoy a truly great golfing experience in a peaceful, natural setting.

Address: 3 Country Club Road, Ashland, NH 03217
Call: 603-536-2227

CLUB MOTORSPORTS

Club Motorsports is a premiere country club for enthusiasts of vintage and performance cars and motorcycles at the edge of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. On hundreds of rolling wooded acres with breathtaking views, we’ve built a heart-pounding ribbon through the woods: 15 turns over 2.5 miles with an elevation change of 250 feet.

Club Motorsports may well be the most dramatic and scenic performance course in the country — a perfect blend of technology, art, and adrenaline. In addition it offers all of the amenities of a private resort: clubhouse with lounge/bar, restaurant, overnight accommodations, plus locker and workout rooms, classrooms, repair shops, secure and climate-controlled garages and private garages, garage-mahal condos, 0.4-mile karting track, and five acres of paddocks for parking and driver training.

Address: NH-25, Tamworth, NH 03886, United States

Winnipesaukee Sportsmens Club

The Winnipesaukee Sportsman’s Club was formed in 1969 by a group of locals interested in hunting and fishing. The 18 acres of land off NH 109 in Moultonborough was acquired from Bud Ambrose. At a later date a small building was purchased which became the club house. We now own 27 acres, a lot of this is wet land, but we have enough to expand a little. Most all work done at the range is volunteer. Shooting is allowed 9AM to sunset Monday through Saturday and 11AM to sunset on Sunday.

Address: 616 Governor Wentworth Highway, Moultonborough, NH, United States, 03254