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Lake WinnipesaukeeThe largest lake in New Hampshire, Lake Winnipesaukee is the sixth largest natural lake lying within the United States. It is 26 miles long and covers 72 square miles (186 km²), with a maximum depth of 180 feet (55 m). The lake contains some 253 islands (list of islands) and is indented by several peninsulas, a combination which yields a total shoreline of some 288 miles. The driving distance around Lake Winnipesaukee is about 63 miles. The lake is 504 feet above sea level. Lake Winnipesaukee has been a tourist destination for more than a century, especially for residents escaping the summer heat of Boston and New York City. The Native American name "Winnipesaukee" means either "smile of the Great Spirit" or "beautiful water in high place". Winnipesaukee is a glacial lake and an unusual one at that, since the last glaciation actually reversed the flow of its waters. Draining the central portion of New Hampshire, it once flowed southeast, leaving via what is now Alton Bay toward the Atlantic Ocean. When glacial debris blocked this path, flow was redirected westward through Paugus Bay into the Winnipesaukee River. The latter flows west from the lake and joins the Pemigewasset River in Franklin to form the Merrimack River, which flows south to Massachusetts and into the Atlantic. Lake Winnipesaukee is known for its annual Ice-Out Contest, in which people try to guess the date that the Mount Washington (aka The Mount), a large cruise ship that carries tourists around the lake, can safely leave her port on Saunders Bay and motor to four other ports. Since records began being kept in 1851, ice-out has happened as early as March 29 and as late as May 12, although 90 percent of the time it is declared during April. The Cities and Towns which surround the lake are: - Laconia, surrounding Paugus Bay, is the main commercial city on the lake. Included in Laconia is Weirs Beach, the largest public bathing area on Winnipesaukee.
- Wolfeboro, which bills itself as the oldest "summer resort" in America.
- Meredith, whose busy harbor lies on the opposite, western reach of the lake.
- Tuftonboro
- Moultonborough
- Center Harbor
- Gilford, home to Gunstock Recreation Area, a popular destination for skiing and hiking.
- Alton
Lakes Region Along with the rest of New Hampshire's "Lakes Region", which also encompasses Squam Lake and Newfound Lake, Winnipesaukee is home to numerous summer theater troupes, and offers a wide variety of other land and water recreation activities. In all, New Hampshire is home to some 1300 lakes and ponds. External Links Winnipesaukee
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