LOCAL INFO
Spectacular scenery, breathtaking views, and so much to do for people of all ages. Experience mountainside living at its best! Take a look at all the local sights and area attractions that The Peaks Atop Mount Will and greater Bethel have to offer.
Parks and Preserves
This will be the first and last time that true mountainside home sites will be available at Sunday River. This area is well protected and we are fairly confident that once the home sites at The Peaks Atop Mount Will are gone, there will be no more. Here is a quick overview of the parks and preserves that are just minutes away from The Peaks.
The Covered Bridge
A well-preserved covered bridge is minutes away from Mount Will. It is known as the "Artists' Covered Bridge" because so many artists have captured the 1872 wooden bridge on canvas. There is a great cross country skiing loop that takes you past this vista and the kids love swimming underneath it in the summers.
The Swimming Hole
Approximately 7.5 minutes away from The Peaks Atop Mount Will home sites is a quintessential swimming hole. Dubbed “Frenchman’s Hole,” this hidden jewel has something for everyone, from daring jumps to lazy plops off the side and into the pool. A portable grill and big cooler is a common sight while families camp out for the afternoon on those hot summer days. You become an owner at The Peaks, and we’ll happily tell you how to get there. How’s that for a deal?
Grafton Notch State Park
A short drive farther, nestled into the Mahoosuc Mountain Range, is 3192-acre park. There is plenty of open space for everyone so you can enjoy a private picnic in peace and quiet. Within the park, Screw Auger Falls boasts spectacular geological rock formations that are easy to reach. For more adventurous folks, we recommend Table Rock Loop, a strenuous two-hour, 2.5-mile trek to enjoy the views while you are lunching at the top of “table rock.”
The Step Falls Preserve
Less than ten minutes away from The Peaks Atop Mount Will home sites is the Step Falls Preserve. This 24-acre preserve is ideal for family hiking, offering an easy one-hour roundtrip through the woods that meanders along cascading waterfalls and dipping pools. The foliage is amazing in the fall, providing an unusual pattern of color and the waterfalls are especially exciting to hear and see in late spring.
Summer Activities
Golf
Robert Trent Jones, Jr. is world renowned as being perhaps the best architect of new golf courses around. At the Sunday River Golf Club, Mr. Jones has proven this once again. His mountainside course flows perfectly with the landscape of the lower Mahoosuc Mountain Range in a manner that makes it just seem to belong there.
In addition to the Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Championship Golf Course just down the road from the entrance to The Peaks, is the Bethel Inn and Country Club. It has an 18-hole championship-length course and driving range. It boasts the Guaranteed Performance School of Golf offering three- and five-day lesson programs.
Wild Blueberry Picking
Out the front door of The Peaks home sites, across the Sunday River and back up the mountain, you will find blueberries everywhere. If you want wild blueberries all to yourself, hike to the ridge line between White Cap and Locke Mountain Peaks. Approach quietly, late in the day, and you might see deer helping themselves to some berries as well.
Mountain Biking
Minutes away from The Peaks Atop Mount Will home sites are 60 miles of well maintained mountain biking trails on the Sunday River Mountain Bike Park. From expert climbs and incredible downhill runs to cross-country loops, there is something for bikers of all ability levels in this park
Canoe and Kaykaing
Minutes from The Peaks Atop Mount Will home sites is a paddler’s dream, with many rivers and lakes ranging from whitewater that makes your heart pump, to flat water perfect for a family afternoon picnic. The shorelines are well protected and preserved providing the perfect venue to see beaver dams, deer, eagles, and moose, and the fishing is great!
Old Specke Hike
A short drive from The Peaks Atop Mount Will home sites is the trail head to Old Speck Mountain. At 4180 feet, this is the third highest of Maine’s 10 four-thousand footers. At the summit, is a 28-foot observation tower that affords you 360 degree views of the White Mountains, the Mahoosuc Mountains, the Sunday River Mountains, and of course Mount Will. This hike is not a simple eight-mile hike. Leave just after sunrise and expect to come home just in time for dinner and enjoy the sunset from your deck. Alternatively, never leave your deck and start cocktailing mid afternoon!
Outward Bound
Eight or so minutes from The Peaks Atop Mount Will home sites is the highly regarded Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, specializing in mountain-oriented wilderness courses. With the area’s spectacular scenery and comparatively rugged mountains, this provides the perfect venue for a great experience in wilderness education.
Horseback Riding
A short ride from The Peaks atop Mount Will is Sparrowhawk Mountain Ranch offering trail riding, lessons and various riding packages.
Rainy Day for the Kids
In 10 or so minutes from The Peaks is The Gem Theater.
Easy Walking and Biking
The Bethel Pathway is approximately 12 minutes from the entrance to The Peaks Atop Mount Will. This is a 1.2-mile walking and biking loop that runs along the Androscoggin River starting from the Davis Park picnic area.
Winter Activities
Skiing and Snowboarding
Sunday River is located minutes from the Peaks. The resort boasts eight interconnected peaks of world-class skiing and snowboarding.
Mt Abrams is Maine's #1 family-friendly ski area. Mt Abrams offers the best family skiing for all ages. With 48 trails, glades, a vertical of 1,150, and a topnotch ski school with some of the country's best instructors.
Cross Country Skiing
About a minute from the entrance to The Peaks is The Sunday River Inn and XC Ski Center. These folks do an incredible job with the trail system, which boasts 40km of double-tracked trails looping through the woods. If the trails are poor elsewhere, the trails here may still be in excellent shape; thanks to trail maintenance and grooming equipment that is second to none.
Dog Sledding
Always wanted to try dogsledding? Well, now you can. Just a few minutes from The Peaks you can learn how to dogsled by taking an introductory class with the Bear River Mushing Company.
Guided Back Country Skiing Via Sled Dogs
About 10 or so minutes from The Peaks you can hire the Mahoosuc Guide Service to take you on either a one-day or multi-day trip into the mountains.
Skijorning
Yes, it’s true! About twenty minutes away from The Peaks, you can go skijoring. This is like water skiing … except that you’re on snow, and being pulled behind sled dogs! Skijoring is offered through the Telemark Inn.
Winter Time Sleigh Rides
The kids will love it and you can be there in 10 minutes from your home site. There are two places that offer sleigh rides in winter: The Bethel Inn and Country Club and the Meadowcreek Farm.