Castle in the Clouds?
 

Would like the Forum feed back about my possible visit to "Castle in the Clouds?
Good, bad, or don't waste my money ?

I've been in the Lakes Region for over 30 years but we've never visited this place.

My wife and I love the outdoors, the mountains and vistas, we are also avid gardners, and photographers, so thinking this might be a great place to vist this summer.

Thoughts?

Castle in the Clouds
 

It is worth seeing at least once. Another option is to park for free in the lot over near the Crystal Geyser bottling plant. The trout pond is amazing and the hiking trails are not difficult at all. Follow the trail alongside the brook for some beautiful cascades and small waterfalls. You cannot (or should not) access the mansion from this location.

Back when we were dating, my wife and I went there Christmas time. It was nice. Its an alright place to go every few years. We'd like to start doing some of the trails in the area.

The drive up from the main entrance is beautiful..there's some very scenic spots where you can park and enjoy a waterfall/river. and then there's a pullover, that looks out over the lake...most gorgeous view, ever! The castle is a place you could go thru once every 20 yrs and not forget. The grounds are quite beautiful with an array of plantings that are bright and cheerful, even on a rainy day...worth the trip, every 20 yrs.

Worth the visit...
 

My family and I visited from late morning to mid afternoon this May.
Great scenery on the way up and while touring the estate, very friendly staff, and we learned quite a bit more about the regions history. Be sure to take time to have lunch at the restaurant prior to taking the tour bus on the last leg of the journey up to the castle. The artisan turkey sandwich on the menu during our visit was outstanding!

Amazing Views
 

We go for lunch at the Carriage House at least once a summer, usually when we have guests at camp. The views are amazing! The house tour is self guided and worth seeing if you haven't been before. For Moultonboro tax payers, get a library card and you can use it to reserve 2 Adult and 2 Kid passes for free. If you're just going to lunch, use the bottling plant road to avoid the admissions charge.

Here's an article from way back in 1997 about a visit I made to the castle:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/index.php?pageid=castle

That link didn't work for me

Can you get into the main gate for free or do you have to use the bottling plant entrance for no charge?

There is a charge at the main gate. I think you can pay less to just go up the main road and not go to the Castle, basically paying for a scenic look out and to be able to walk out to a waterfall. You can't see any of the Castle, not even a glimpse of the exterior, from the carriage house/restaurant.

At the risk of sounding like FLL, last time I was there I drove up the bottling plant road and parked right next to the carriage house. We had lunch and then walked up to the main house. They were setting up for a wedding outside. I believe there are signs telling you not to do what we did but we did stay off the roads.:eek:FWIW

..and don't forget, they have horseback riding there too, which is a great way to take in the scenery.

Virtually walk around...
 

A new virtual tour of the Carriage House Restaurant was just published on Google Maps. It shows the great views of the lake from the patio, along with the inside and function hall upstairs. Click here to take the tour.