Red Hill; Gunstock; Sunapee
--M. said:
When we vacationed on Moultonborough Neck in the seventies, we looked across the lake to Gunstock, and I see there are trails to the top. Trip Reports, Please!
Red Hill has great views from its firetower, but as it is in Center Harbor (north shore of W'saukee), what you see beyond the Lake to the south are peaks like Gunstock, Kearsarge, Ragged, and on a clear day farther south, Monadnock. There are good views north too, but the Sandwich range blocks Mt. Washington and the rest of the Predidentials.
Gunstock, I think, has pretty much exactly what Forestnome is looking for. I've enjoyed its summit view many times, always going up one way (the summit chair) but down by a variety of great ski trails. The snowy Presidentials towering over the vastness of the Lake on a clear day would inspire anyone. There is a cabin at the top with a front deck commanding that view that will sell you an Irish coffee or other libation, but I doubt it's open in summer. Unlike Tecumseh, for instance, no trails except ski, as far as I know.
[Edit: Carole's post below led me to check, belatedly, the AMC So. NH Trail Guide (2d), which describes a couple of trails to the summit of Gunstock, but both making some use of the ski trails.]
The view from atop Sunapee much resembles that from Gunstock, but the Lake you're looking over toward the Presidentials is Sunapee. Inspiring nonetheless, and in addition to many days skiing there, I hiked up there one crisp day in late September. A wedding reception was going on at the summit - the guests took the ski chair up.
View-hogs should certainly make a point to take in all three of these before their vision fails.