Sugar River (New Hampshire) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sugar River
The Sugar River in Claremont, NH, approaching Mount Ascutney in Vermont
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Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Sullivan
Towns and city	Sunapee, Newport, Claremont
Physical characteristics
Main source	Lake Sunapee Sunapee 1,093 ft (333 m) 43°23′8″N 72°4′52″W / 43.38556°N 72.08111°W / 43.38556; -72.08111
River mouth	Connecticut River Claremont 292 ft (89 m) 43°24′7″N 72°23′57″W / 43.40194°N 72.39917°W / 43.40194; -72.39917
Length	27.0 mi (43.5 km)
Basin features
Tributaries	Left: Trask Brook, South Branch Sugar River, Cutts Brook, Quabbinight Brook Right: Tucker Brook, Long Pond Brook, North Branch Sugar River, Dodge Brook, Kimball Brook, Ram Brook, Peabody Brook, Grandy Brook, Stevens Brook, Redwater Brook, Walker Brook

The Sugar River is a river in western New Hampshire, United States. It is about 27 miles (43 kilometers) long. The river flows into the Connecticut River, which then goes all the way to Long Island Sound.

The Sugar River starts at Lake Sunapee in the town of Sunapee, New Hampshire. It flows west through the towns of Newport and Claremont. Finally, it joins the Connecticut River across from Ascutney, Vermont.

The Sugar River's Journey

The Sugar River begins its journey at the end of Lake Sunapee. This lake is in the town of Sunapee, New Hampshire. From there, the river travels west.

It passes through the town of Newport, New Hampshire. Then it continues into the city of Claremont, New Hampshire. The river's journey ends when it flows into the larger Connecticut River. This meeting point is near the village of Ascutney in Vermont.

Powering the Past

The Sugar River has many natural drops and steep sections. In the past, people used these drops to create power. They built mills and factories that used the river's force to run machines. This is called hydro-powered industrial development.

Many towns grew because of this power. These include Claremont and Newport, which became important mill towns. Other villages like Sunapee, Wendell, Guild, and West Claremont also used the river's power. An old railroad line, called the Concord to Claremont Line, used to follow the Sugar River. It ran from Wendell to where the river meets the Connecticut River.

River Branches

Smaller streams and rivers that flow into a larger river are called tributaries. The Sugar River has several tributaries that add to its flow.

• The South Branch joins the Sugar River in Newport.
• The North Branch flows into the Sugar River between Newport and North Newport.
• Other smaller streams also feed into the Sugar River.