Information and History on Squam Lake - Lakes Region Real Estate
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Squam Lakes is known as one of the most peaceful and pristine in the country. The fog rises from the water early in the morning, loons fill the air with their haunting call.
- Conde Nast Magazine
Squam Lakes, located 40 miles north of Concord, are natural, spring-fed bodies of water consisting of a small and large lake connected by a channel. The Squam Lakes are not only rich in natural beauty but history as well. Squam Lakes’ earliest inhabitants were from the Abenaki nation of the Algonguin Federation of Indians.
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 Photo Courtesy of Rick Frost |
 Photo Courtesy of Rick Frost |
Originally, they referred to Squam as Keeseenunknipee, which meant “the goose lake in the highlands”. The white settlers that followed shortened the name to Casumpa, Kusumpy and/or Kesumpe around 1779. In the early 1800’s, the lake was given another Abenaki name, Asquam, which means water. Finally, in the early 1900’s, Asquam was shortened to its present version, Squam.
Though the lakes’ name has seen many changes, the Squam Lakes area has seen relatively few. Despite being located only a couple of hours from major metropolitan areas, Squam has managed to maintain its pristine and undeveloped landscape.
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The lack of transportation to the Squam Lakes at the turn of the century helped the area to stay relatively undeveloped. With the railroad stopping in Ashland, commercial activity remained limited directly around the lakes. Today, the interstate highway brings visitors into Ashland, where the center of commerce exists for the Squam Lakes area. Holding onto the history of the area, many camps on the lakes date back a century and discretely line the lush shoreline. Families have been coming for vacations for generations and many make the lakes their year round residence upon retirement.
While the islands on the lakes are part of its unique landscape, the coves are quiet and a perfect haven for nesting loons and other wildlife.
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Squam Lakes’ magnificence is matched only by the warmth and charm of the communities that surround it. The people who call Squam home year-round or once a year, are drawn to Squam Lakes not only for its physical beauty, but because it is a unique community committed to protecting a special place. The unique blend of small town values and distinct cultural opportunities make this an exceptional place to visit or live.
The unspoiled beauty of Squam Lakes is what continues to bring visitors here today. Once they are here, the region hosts a variety of activities for all seasons including hiking, camping, swimming, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, golf, tennis, and mountain biking.
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On the lake, natural and stocked fish include trout, bass, and salmon. For the less sports minded,
there are a variety of wonderful restaurants and interesting shops in the area for visitors to
experience. Whether your preference is a quaint inn, waterfront cottage, campground or cozy motel,
the Squam Lakes area boasts a variety of unique lodging opportunities.
Most of New Hampshire's major attractions are less than an hour away making the Squam Lakes
area an ideal location for day trips. The Squam Lakes region is home to the Squam Lakes Natural
Science Center, which features four self-guided trails including the Gephart Trail with native New
Hampshire wildlife in natural woodland enclosures. If you want to get onto the Squam Lakes and you
don’t have your own vessel, tour boat companies offer guided tours of the lakes. Scenes from
On Golden Pond ncluding the location of the famous back flip by Jane Fonda into the lake or Katharine
Hepburn running into the marina, are recognizable sites on the tours. In the spring, the annual ritual of
tapping maple trees and boiling the sap into dark maple syrup abounds, while the fall sees Squam
Lakes wrapped in the incredible colors of the New England foliage.
It is not by accident that the Squam Lakes area is in pristine condition, but due to the unique efforts of
dedicated organizations and individuals, who believe that preserving the watershed is essential for the
public’s enjoyment of this beautiful area. The natural beauty of the Squam Lakes area continues to
bring visitors back year after year.
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On Golden Pond
 Twenty years ago, Hollywood went scouting for the perfect New England Lake to be the location for the classic movie, “On Golden Pond”. Of course, the lake had to be gorgeous, pristine and undeveloped. And, it had to be within two hours of a major metropolitan area. It was a tall order, but they found what they were looking for at Squam Lake. Today, it would still fit the bill.
- New England Travel & Life, 2001
Hollywood Comes to Squam Lakes In 1981, Squam Lakes were transformed by the arrival of the Hollywood film crew to make the Academy Award winning film written by Ernest Thompson, On Golden Pond. Starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Dabney Coleman, and Doug McKeon, this film is a touching love story of Norman and Ethel Thayer as they return to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 44th year. The producers chose Squam Lakes as the perfect backdrop for the film and today visitors still come to see the sites where Hollywood left its marks.
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As you pull into the town of Holderness, the marina looks much the same as when they filmed Katharine Hepburn’s scene to get the boat to rescue Norman and Billy on their ill-fated fishing trip. If you take a tour boat ride on Squam Lake, you will see the cottage where the movie was filmed along with Purgatory Cove. For movie lovers and the like, it is worth the trip.
On Golden Pond Lives On Many of the businesses in the Squam Lakes area enjoy the benefits of being located where a movie had been filmed which is reflected in the names of the establishments. Walter’s Basin, The Inn on Golden Pond, The Manor on Golden Pond, Golden Pond Country Store to name a few. Squam Lakes is fortunate to have a community dedicated to preserving the natural beauty of the area which is evident in the pristine quality Squam Lakes continues to possess.
Today, the Squam Lakes region is a favorite New Hampshire vacation destination. If you are coming to take in the sites of the movie or the natural beauty of the area, Squam Lakes will become your favorite New Hampshire vacation destination, too.
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