Exciting expansion at South Peak Resort, Loon Mountain

Last week, Nancy and I took a ride up to Lincoln to catch the last glimpse of foliage and take a short hike. While we were up there, we took a look at the ongoing construction at South Peak Resort, and both of us thought it was very impressive. There's a lot going on up there at the base of Loon Mountain, and also in the downtown district leading up to the mountain.

This is a town that resonates deeply with my personal skiing experiences, going back as far as my senior year in high school. I can remember going to the ski area when it first opened, and I was pretty impressed with the hexagon-shaped lodge, which was pretty unique and innovative back in the day. As a long-time skier on Loon Mountain's slopes, I've observed its evolution from a paper mill town to a fledgling ski area and now a renowned destination.

When I drove west from the parking lot at the mountain toward town, I was blown away by the amount of new construction. Beautiful mountainside custom homes were built in a well-landscaped natural setting, with Craftsman-style designs featuring lots of wood, rock exteriors, and timber framing,

This expansive development meanders through the woods along the Pemigewasset River. South Peak is a planned 360-acre homeowner community surrounded by 800 acres of protected White Mountain National Forest. The community offers a mix of single-family homes, condominiums, and townhomes, and life at South Peak Resort is well underway. From what I understand, there are approximately 185 homeowners, and the resort is about 20% into the full build-out.

The real estate activity and construction at South Peak Resort coincide with Loon Mountain Resort's 10-year development and modernization plan, which they call Flight Path 2030. A major expansion of Loon Mountain's South Peak area has been planned.

The key project specifications propose 280 new skiable acres, with 145 acres designated as trail access and 135 acres of tree skiing and glades. If Peak 4 is approved and fully built out, Loon projects a total of 955 skiable acres, a 137% increase over the terrain available today. That total includes the separate 272-acre Black Ridge expansion to the east, designed for expert skiers and scheduled to open in the 2027-28 winter season. Four new aerial lifts are proposed, including a detachable gondola, a detachable chairlift, and two fixed-grip chairs. A new summit lodge with dining, sightseeing, and event spaces is planned, plus a mid-mountain lodge.

What's really interesting is Loon Mountain's connection to the town itself. A planned pulse gondola would connect RiverWalk in downtown Lincoln to the base of South Peak, crossing the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River and providing another way to reach the mountain.

The overall development spans private land at South Peak Resort and public land within the White Mountain National Forest. The federal environmental assessment is expected to take approximately 12 months from submission. Loon says the project would be developed in phases if approved, but a construction timeline has not yet been announced because local and federal approvals are still needed.

When I drove through South Peak, the expansion of homes was very evident. Alpine Drive, South Peak's newest slopeside neighborhood, is also underway and will add 30 premium home sites. I drove up to an innovative bridge design that allows vehicles to pass below while skiers traverse Loon Mountain's Fox Run Trail above.

Ember Court at Fireside was another exciting development, with many of the units under contract and phase two underway. The modern architecture sits on a bright, open, sunny hillside. Another thing that struck me was the semi-private owners' club under construction adjacent to the Pemigewasset Base Lodge. 

On Crooked Mountain Road, there was a nice selection of custom homes with striking architectural designs, stone facades, board-and-batten siding, and standing-seam roof accents.

The ski area has been consistent in expanding its operations over the years. It features the Kancamagus 8 chairlift, the first eight-place chairlift in the East, with heated seats and weather-blocking bubbles. Again, I began to see similarities to Vail in Colorado, with its state-of-the-art lifts.

The resort has also opened a number of new restaurants, and the town itself is experiencing new growth, with two large new hotels, a Common Man breakfast eatery, another condominium development, and additional restaurants and retail shops. With the integration of South Peak into downtown Lincoln and The Mills Marketplace, homeowners have access to a multitude of retail shops, restaurants, brewpubs, wine bars, and other activities.

In addition to skiing, the Lincoln area offers tremendous hiking opportunities, cycling and mountain biking down Loon Mountain's trails, rivers to explore and bathe in, the famed 34.5-mile Kancamagus Highway, swimming holes, the popular Highland Games, the Hobo Railroad, Clark's Bears, breweries, miniature golf courses, and winter attractions such as the Ice Castles.

In essence, Lincoln stands as a living tribute to the power of collective vision and effort. Its evolution from a mill-dependent town to a hub of skiing and year-round recreation is a great story. The integration of South Peak Resort's expansion is another step forward in Loon's future. Each visit and each descent down the slopes of Loon Mountain reinforces the remarkable transformation of Lincoln. To me, Lincoln is more than a mere destination. It symbolizes the enduring beauty of New Hampshire and the extraordinary capacity of a community to adapt and thrive amidst change.

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This article was written by Frank Roche, president of Roche Realty Group in Meredith, and can be reached at 603-279-7046. Visit rocherealty.com to learn more about the Lakes Region and its real estate market.