Lakes Region

The Lakes Region covers Belknap County in central New Hampshire, the country built around Lake Winnipesaukee — the largest lake in New Hampshire, with 240 miles of shoreline and 274 inhabited islands. The terrain is rolling glacial-till country broken by a string of large lakes: Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, and Wentworth. The Belknap Mountains rise along the western edge of Winnipesaukee. Belknap County is the only county in the region. Anchor towns include Laconia (the largest city), Meredith, Gilford (with Gunstock Mountain Resort), Tilton, Alton Bay, and Center Harbor. Weirs Beach handles most of the carnival-and-boardwalk traffic; the Mount Washington (a 230-foot tour boat that has cruised Winnipesaukee since the 1870s) anchors the lake-cruise itinerary; the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad runs along the western shore. Most trips here run lake-and-resort focused. Lake Winnipesaukee draws the largest single-stream visitor traffic — boating, fishing, the Mount Washington cruises, and Weirs Beach summer weekends. Laconia Motorcycle Week each June is the oldest motorcycle rally in the country (the Sturgis predecessor); Gunstock Mountain handles winter ski traffic.