Drawing its name from an Abenaki legend of Chief Ahanton’s daughter whose wedding crossing gave Lake Winnipesaukee its romantic translation—"the smile of the Great Spirit"—Ellacoya State Park preserves both deep regional lore and vital mid-century public recreation. Originally private farmland along Route 11, the 82-acre parcel was acquired by the State of New Hampshire in 1956 to safeguard public shoreline access during the post-war boom of private waterfront cottage development. Opening to visitors in 1958, the park transformed into a cherished Lakes Region retreat centered on a 600-foot natural sandy beach—a rare expanse along the lake's typically rocky coast—offering shaded pine groves, a 38-site RV campground, and sweeping, unobstructed views across "The Broads" toward the Sandwich and Ossipee mountain ranges.