Things To Do

The historical architecture of downtown may be one of the first things that visitors notice about the City of Claremont, and while it is certainly an important aspect of the community, it is not all that Claremont has to offer.

From the Visitors Center at 14 North Street,  you can still view historic textile mills along the Sugar River. Catch a rainbow, brook, or brown trout in the shadow of the city center, or launch a boat and enjoy a picnic at the city owned River Road Park along the Connecticut River. The Claremont Parks and Recreation Department also has a maintained trail system at the 325 acre Moody Park. The trails can be used for hiking, running and mountain biking. Children's playground equipment, tennis courts, picnic tables and grilles are just some of the amenities the park has to offer. Moody Park also offers winter recreation with an outdoor skating rink, and trails that can be used for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.

For a well rounded hiking and camping experience, the area offers several choices including Mount Sunapee State Park which is located just 15 miles east of Claremont. The summit affords an outstanding view of the western hills and lakes of New Hampshire. Scenic Lake Sunapee offers public beaches, boat and canoe rentals, fishing and regularly scheduled dinner cruises leaving from Sunapee Harbor in the summer, and great skiing in the winter. Mt. Ascutney is also nearby, located just 12 miles west of Claremont, it is one of the area's best kept secrets with a variety of trails for day hikers including one that takes you by an old granite quarry. Road bikers have been using Mount Ascutney to train for the Mount Washington race for several years now, and mountain biking in the area is equally challenging.

The City of Claremont is central to many cultural attractions. Saint-Gaudens in Cornish, NH National Historic Site consisting of 150 acres including the home, gardens and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), one of America's foremost sculptors. This was his summer residence from 1885-1897, and his permanent home from 1900 until his death in 1907. There are two hiking trails that explore the park's natural areas. Windsor, VT is home to the Precision Museum, an interesting collection of machines and tools that span the industrial revolution. The Fells, one of New England's finest examples of an early 20th century summer estate is open for exploring in Newbury, NH. Enjoy the magnificent gardens and hiking trails, or perhaps attend an artist's weekend for a class or demonstration. Charlestown, NH is home to the Fort at No. 4, a trip back in time to the 1740's when frontier families brought together a community in the wilderness. Demonstrations of hearth cooking, musket firings, military drill and other events are conducted daily.