Sunset Hill: Living Up to Its Name

Starting up the Sunset Hill Trail

This past Saturday night, the mix of clouds and sun were shaping up to create a magical sunset, so I searched online for a nice quick hike to enjoy it. I hadn't been around Lake Sunapee in a while, so I decided to try and find a hike in that area to get a good view. Looking on the Forest Society's website, I came across the Hay Reservation which encompasses the trails and summit of Sunset Hill. Seeing as it was only 1.2 mi to the top, I knew this would be a quick climb for my pup and I to enjoy the evening.

We arrived at the trailhead around 5:45 p.m. It is directly across the street from the Fells Historic Estate and Gardens. I wasn't sure if I could park in the Fells parking lot itself, so I parked just outside of the grounds on the side of NH-103A, where there is room for about 3-4 cars along the road. The sound of cars zooming down the highway was still very audible as we started into the forest, and continued until we made the final push to the top. The beginning of the trail was a quick moderate climb up to the first trail junction pictured above. All of the junctions leading to the summit were marked very clearly like this, making for no confusion on the way up.

Along the Sunset Hill Trail

From this junction the trail was flat and wide. The trail actually followed some old woods roads most of the way. Even after the rain we had on Friday, the trail was basically dry the whole way, with a few small damp spots near the top. After this flat stroll the trail swung right and began what was first a gentle and then steady moderate rise. The trail never got steep, but the ascent was consistent enough to get the legs and lungs working until we reached the summit and turned towards the lookout.

On the summit looking towards the lookout

We ran into three people at the lookout when we arrived who left shortly after we settled in. The rest of the time we had the whole summit and the rest of the hike to ourselves, and after seeing the views take shape, I couldn't believe we got to enjoy it in solitude.

First colors of sunset taking shape

Simply put, the hill lived up to its name and then some. The sunset that evening was one of the most magical I've ever seen, and to enjoy it from that perch with that view was something special. Having heard so little about this hill before we hiked it, I can confidently say that it is highly underrated. I would definitely save it as a sunset trip to get the full effect. As you'll see from the rest of my photos below, it is well worth the trip.

Orange and purple glow descending on the distant mountains

Lake Sunapee and distant mountains

Lookout cairn, lush trees, Lake Sunapee, distant mountains and a magical sky. Perfection.

The NH Forest Society has a great trail map that I used in planning this hike. I'm so glad they have this space preserved for all of us to enjoy such amazing views as those I took in Saturday evening.

In terms of a time break down, it was 32 min to the top of the hill, a little over an hour on it, and then 27 min. back down, going 1.2 mi each way for 2.4 mi round trip.