Lake Solitude is a highland tarn located in western

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

, United States, at the top of Sunapee Ridge between the main summit of

Mount Sunapee Mount Sunapee (or Sunapee Mountain on federal maps) is a mountain ridge in the towns of Newbury and Goshen in western New Hampshire, United States. Its highest peak, at the north end of the mountain, is above sea level. The mountain has three ...

and South Peak. The lake, covering , is approximately long by wide and is located within Mount Sunapee State Park in the town of Newbury. A popular hiking destination, Lake Solitude is accessible via the Andrew Brook Trail, the Newbury Trail, or the long-distance Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail. White Ledge, elevation , rises steeply above the lake's west shore and provides expansive views. The lake is considered an important habitat for rare species and is off limits to swimmers and dogs. Lake Solitude drains into Andrew Brook, thence into Todd Lake, the

Warner River The Warner River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Contoocook River, part of the Merrimack River watershed. The Warner River begins at the outlet of Todd Lake in Bradford, New Hampshire, ...

, the

Contoocook River The Contoocook River () is a river in New Hampshire. It flows from Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/ Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that ...

, then into the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...

and the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. The lake is classified as a coldwater fishery, with observed species including brook trout.

References

*''Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway Trail Guide,'' fifth edition (1994). Concord, New Hampshire:

Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests The Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests (SPNHF) is a private, non-profit, land conservation and sustainable forestry organization based in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It purchases or is given easements on property, or obtains ou ...

. *''Delorme Topo 6.0'' (2006). Mapping software. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. Lakes of Merrimack County, New Hampshire Lakes of New Hampshire {{NewHampshire-geo-stub

See also

References