Andrew Brook Trailhead — Attraction in Newbury

This is an intermediate, dog friendly trail that brings you to a lake which is partway up Sunapee mountain at around 1300 feet elevation. The trailhead has a decent amount of parking but is definitely more packed on weekends than weekdays. When you first enter the trail, there will be a network of maple sugar taps that you must cross under to continue on the trail; follow the orange tape trail markers and soon enough you'll begin to see blue paint on the trees for the Andrew Brook Trail. The terrain is not terribly steep but also does not flatten much until you're almost to the lake, so pace yourself! We brought 3 dogs on this hike so they could swim at the lake, and they absolutely loved it. There were tons of other dogs on the trail and at the lake. There is an option to continue past the lake and reach the full summit of Sunapee mountain, but...

Nice hike. Moderate difficulty. Initial stretch is well groomed and relatively flat. There is a sugar maple sap operation and in one spot the tubes cross the trail. The trail crosses the brook and become steeper. In many sections, the trail has been eroded by rain and foot traffic and consists of larges rocks which need to be navigated. There is a logbook you can sign about 1/2 in from the trailhead. After about a mile from the trailhead you reach scenic lake solitude. Continue following the trail and you reach a junction. Heading right on the white blazed trail will lead you to the cliffs overlooking lake, excellent view. Pushing on another mile further will lead you to the summit of Mt. Sunapee. 4.2 miles out and back took me a little over 3 hours at an pretty...

We are absolute beginners and were able to complete the hike up the solitude lake viewpoint and back in about 4 hrs including breaks. The path is steeper in the first half, and then turns into a gradual incline which is nice for when you're just starting to feel tired. It is quite rocky and rooty throughout, but nothing too difficult. Bugs were a bit of a nuisance, and so bug spray is an absolute must. The views were exceptional, and we stopped our hike at the viewpoint to enjoy some lunch before turning around. Parking is extremely limited, but people did seem to park parallel to the road even though the sign says nose in parking only. Overall, it was high reward to effort ratio. Don't forget sturdy shoes...