New Hampshire Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region:
Follow the river and you will follow the path many early settlers took. The mighty Connecticut River, which flows from northern New Hampshire to the Long Island Sound, forms the state's and this region's western border. It provided transportation and easy access to southern New England markets, and rich farmlands were found along its shores. Here the line of defense was drawn during the French and Indian Wars at numbered forts, including the Fort at No. 4, now the town of Charlestown.
As important as the river was, this region is instead named for the Ivy League school, Dartmouth College in Hanover, first chartered in 1769; and for Lake Sunapee, the unusually clear lake graced by inland lighthouses. A State Park and mountain on its shore share the lake's name.
Attractions in the Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region run from the natural to the historic, from the Fells Historic Site at the John Hay National Wildlife Refuge in Newbury on the eastern shore of Lake Sunapee to Ruggles Mine in Grafton. Sports enthusiasts have plenty to choose from year-round, from downhill and cross country skiing in winter; to boating, swimming and fishing on the Connecticut River and the many lakes and ponds in the summer. There are hundreds of miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, a number of challenging golf courses, State Beaches and State Parks.
Source Link: http://www.beangroup.com/pages/beangroup-content/articles/NH_Dartmouth_Lake_Sunapee_Region
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