Outdoor Summer Adventure at Gunstock Begins

from TheLaker_May29_23

by The Laker

Tips for Comfortable Camping

Gunstock Mountain Resort’s award-winning Adventure Park and 250-site campground are scheduled to open for the season on May 27. Gunstock’s Adventure Park includes scenic chairlift rides, a mountain coaster, zipline tours and aerial treetop challenge courses. Early season hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends only through June 28, then operating until 4 p.m. every Thursday through Sunday until early September. Gunstock’s campground will be operating daily from May 27 through October 15.

“People who only know Gunstock as a winter sports resort are often surprised to discover that we’re a favorite summer attraction too,” said Gunstock Resort President and General Manager Tom Day. “Gunstock is loved by Lakes Region visitors and residents alike. Accolades earned again this year include New Hampshire Magazine’s Readers’ Poll that named Gunstock a Best of NH winner, declaring it the best Summer Outdoor Attraction in the Lakes Region.”

Gunstock’s Adventure Park caters to thrill-seeking visitors of varying degrees. On the softer side of adventure, there’s a scenic chairlift ride on the Panorama chairlift. Each chair is like a flying park bench that accommodates a maximum of four passengers. The chair, equipped with a safety restrain- ing bar, is securely fixed to an overhead cable for a smooth ride to the mountain top. At the summit, guests can wander around on their own, enjoy the amazing views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the beautiful White Mountains beyond, then make the return trip whenever they like. Gunstock’s scenic chairlift ride offers a distinctive and memorable outdoor experience for every visitor.

Also ranking among the resort’s tamer adventures, Gunstock’s Mountain Coaster is a roller-coaster-like experience on an open toboggan that can accommodate a single passenger or two riders. Anticipation builds as the cart climbs uphill, and eventually yields to gravity for an exciting ride through curves and bank turns that follow the mountain’s natural contours, varied with steep sections in combination with twisters and camelbacks. Independent speed control by operating the brake lever allows the driver to determine their own rate of speed throughout the descent.

For greater thrills, Gunstocks’ popular ZipTour and Aerial Treetop Adventure fit the bill. Visitors soar above the trees from peak to peak, and peak to base, traveling over a combined 1.6 miles on one of the longest zipline tours in the continental United States. This hour-and-a-half-plus excursion is a journey through nature with an adrenaline rush. Participants can control their speed using a brake or let it rip and approach a speed of 70 mph.

Constructed among the trees, Gun- stock’s Aerial Treetop Adventure is New England’s largest aerial obstacle course. A total of 90 varied challenges are securely suspended within the trees in eight high ropes courses, including the Explorer Course just for kids. Some examples of the features include log ladders, swinging bridges, seesaws, and, of course, ziplines. Participants are fitted with safety harnesses and provided with belay system training at the start of their treetop quest.

When searching for refreshment between adventures, guests can select The Patio, Gunstock’s scenic outdoor full-service restaurant or The Snack Shack for quick grab-and-go options. Camping season at Gunstock is slated to begin on May 27 too. Gunstock Mountain Resort’s campground places guests in the heart of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region, close to the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee and nestled into the base of the Belknap Mountains. Wooded and open field sites with fire rings and picnic tables serve as home base for guests who enjoy overnight accommodations in a natural setting with easy access to amenities: a camp store, swimming pool, dog park, bath houses, hiking and biking trails, a fishing pond, and Gunstock’s Adventure Park. Gunstock campers receive a discount on Adventure Park activities during their stay.