Sunapee is located in
Sullivan County 20 miles east of
Claremont between Newport and New London along Highway 11 near
Mount Sunapee State Park and Lake Sunapee. Sunapee is one of several resort communities that line many-lobed, 10 square mile Lake Sunapee. A vacation spot since the mid-19th century, the area affords a variety of year-round oudoor recreation. The lake's name is derived from a Peanacook Indian word believed to mean 'wild goose water' or 'flying geese'.