Gunstock Mountain rises to 2,250 feet in the Belknap Range of Gilford, New Hampshire, the second-highest summit in the range and the terrain anchoring Gunstock Mountain Resort. The summit sits directly above Lake Winnipesaukee, and on a clear day views sweep across the lake to the Ossipee Range and northward to the White Mountains, with the Presidential Range on the distant horizon. Lake Winnisquam and the city of Laconia spread out to the southwest.
Four trails ascend to the summit, all gaining roughly 1,100 to 1,300 feet of elevation. The Brook Trail from the resort parking lot is the most direct at 1.7 miles one-way, steep and rough in places, crossing multiple ski runs as it climbs through glades toward the ridge. The Gunstock Mountain Trail from Carriage Road to the west offers a more wooded approach at about 2.2 miles round trip. The Ridge Trail stretches the outing to 2.8 miles and threads deeper into the range. A short saddle trail through the col between Gunstock and Belknap Mountain makes combining both peaks straightforward.
About 400 yards northwest of the summit sits the site of an iron mine first worked in 1827. Ski infrastructure remains visible at the top year-round, and hikers will find lift towers and a skier services building at the summit, though the panorama over the lake is unchanged by the season.
