The Lakes Region of New Hampshire derived its name from the 273 lakes and ponds that can be seen throughout the area. The largest lake is Lake Winnipesaukee, which covers 69 square miles. The other large lakes are Squam Lake, (where the 1981 classic movie “On Golden Pond” was filmed on location), Newfound Lake and Lake Winnisquam. The area itself is located south of the White Mountains (in the eastern central part of the state), and extends all the way to the Maine border. The area is comprised of all of Belknap County, the northern portions of Merrimack and Strafford Counties, the southern part of Carroll County, and the eastern part of Grafton County. The largest municipality in the area is The City of Laconia which has a population of over 16,000 There are 2 small mountain ranges in The Lakes Region, the Ossipee Mountains, which lie to the northeast the Belknap Mountains, that lie to the southwest
The Lakes Region is a favorite tourist destination in the summertime, and the activity peaks during Motorcycle Week in June with motorcycle races at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Other popular meccas for tourists include the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, located in Holderness, The Funspot in Weirs Beach,(designated as the “largest arcade in the world ” by the Guiness Book Of World Records), and the children’s museum of Center Harbor. The town of Gilford boasts two great tourist destinations, The Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook (where world class music acts are seen each summer), and Gunstock ski resort. Let us not forget the magnificent Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough, and the scenic town of Wolfeboro, which lays claim to being the nation’s oldest resort town in The United States.
