Gateway from the west to the Mascoma Valley-Cardigan Mountain towns of Enfield, Canaan, Orange, Grafton, and Dorchester is Mascoma Lake. The four mile long lake separates the two villages that comprise the town of Enfield, and lies between Routes 4 and 4A. If one drives along Route 4 for fifteen minutes the elevation will gradually increase from 760 feet to 945 feet in downtown Canaan. Then quickly the elevation rises to 1,450 feet at the Orange Common. Slightly to the east is Grafton, approximately 850 feet above sea level near the village store. Above Grafton and Orange, the granite outcropping of Cardigan Mountain majestically rises to 3,121 feet in the middle of Cardigan Mountain State Park. The fire lookout tower points skyward. In the foothills of the White Mountains, the district is the home of many lakes, Cardigan Mountain State Park, Tewksbury State Pond, and Cold Pond State Wildlife Area. The Appalachian Trail bisects the northern boundary of the school district.

Along the way you will have seen the streams rushing to their final destination of Mascoma lake, on their way to the Connecticut and the sea. The streams that in the spring are dotted with trout fishermen. The streams that have begun their journey in the nearby hills and spots like Crystal lake, Goose Pond, Spectacle Pond, Grafton Pond, Canaan Street lake, and Kilton Pond. Indeed one of the area's great attractions is its waterways. Providing residents and visitors alike with a wide variety of recreational activities. The area is known for abundant four-season recreational opportunities including hiking, camping, biking, sailing, fishing, climbing, snowmobiling, skiing and hunting. The district is near numerous major ski areas.

Many consider the area to be representative of a unique part of America where mountain beauty and quiet serenity, coupled with historic homes and open countryside provides home to people seeking that special lifestyle found in fewer and fewer spots. This lifestyle is further enhanced by the area's close proximity to the Hanover-Lebanon area. There is easy access to both stimulating educational programs and cultural aspects of Dartmouth College, shopping at the plazas, the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and many other attributes of the area from golf to restaurants. The Hood Museum of Natural History and The Hopkins Center for Performing Arts attract world-class art and natural history exhibitions, resident and traveling theater performances, and a variety of performing artists. The district is home to the LaSalette Shrine and the Museum at Lower Shaker Village in Enfield. These sites attract visitors year round. Interstate highways 89 and 91 are within easy travel distance, and airline service is available at the Lebanon Airport. Both train and bus services are also accessible. The district is within two hours of the Boston metropolitan area, and the cities of New York and Montreal are also easily reachable by interstate highway.

Like the rest of the Upper Valley the Mascoma-Cardigan area has grown steadily. From 1970 to 1985 the population went from 3,900 to 7,050 - an 80% jump. The increase ranged from 62% in Canaan to 220% in Dorchester. If proof is needed that the increase is due to persons in search of a lifestyle the in-migration statistics are illuminating. Population growth from in-migration ranged from 23 % in Canaan to 88 % in Orange and 98.6 % in Grafton. But that doesn't mean it's getting crowded.