Directions to Mt. Greylock: Click here for Google mapDirections to Mohawk Trail State Forest: Click here for Google map
Mount Greylock is a state reservation featuring the highest peak in Massachusetts, at 3,491 feet. Overlooking the beautiful Berkshire landscape, the Mt. Greylock reservation offers 12,500 acres of mountain, forests, valleys, and streams for you and your dog to explore and enjoy!
Mt. Greylock is loaded with exciting history and features many historic icons, including the Veterans War Memorial Tower (which you can climb to the top), an old ski lodge (back when people would actually hike the mountain in order to ski down), and evidence of many historic visitors such as Herman Melville, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau! An abundance of information about Mt. Greylock can be found by clicking here.
Located "across the street" (generally speaking) is the Mohawk Trail State Forest. A short hike brings you to the shoulder of Hawk Mountain (1,880 feet), offering beautiful views of the Deerfield River Valley. More information about the Mohawk Trail can be found by clicking here.
Mt. Greylock and the Mohawk Trail are both popular hang gliding and para gliding sites, so if the weather is right, you just might see a bunch of gliders up in the sky!
Information source: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Here are the positive features:
- A brand new paved road will lead you to the summit of Mt. Greylock
- There are lots of hiking trails from easy to challenging (including the Appalachian Trail!)
- You can camp out overnight at both locations
- Trails are available year round (you can x-country ski or snow shoe in winter)
- Mt. Greylock has restrooms, a lodge, small restaurant and backpack shelters available
- The surrounding area features lots of shopping, dining and lodging in the beautiful Berkshires
- Parking is only $2 at the peak of Mt. Greylock
- There are quotes carved into rocks along the summit trails, which make for a fun little treasure hunt
Negative features:
- Hunting is permitted in season, so either don't hike during those times or wear bright orange (on you and your dog). However, no hunting is allowed within .75 miles of the summit of Mt. Greylock.
- The auto road to the summit of Mt. Greylock is only open from late-May to November 1st.
- The lodge & restaurant are only open in-season (summer), but there are always bathrooms available (port-a-potties)
- My GPS got confused at Mt. Greylock and directed me down the back of the mountain when I left, so be careful which turns you take when you are leaving!
Overall, I would highly recommend this doggie road trip! Plus, you can find lots more places to explore in the beautiful Berkshires.
Directions to Stage Fort Park in Gloucester: Click here for Google map
Directions to Downtown Rockport: Click here for Google map
Historic Gloucester and Rockport are seacoast fishing villages on Cape Ann. Although there are lots of things to see and explore, we particularly enjoy Stage Fort Park in Gloucester and Downtown Rockport (Bearskin Neck).
Stage Fort Park is the historic site of Gloucester's first settlers in 1623. The park offers both a rocky shoreline and a sandy beach, along with many acres of fun and frolic for you and your dog. Take in the beautiful ocean views, but don't miss the huge boulders and stone steps that you can climb! There are hardly ever many people there either. After exploring the Gloucester park's adventures, I highly recommend that you go to downtown Rockport (Bearskin Neck), which is just a few minutes away. You'll love the shops, restaurants, and doggie store!
Information source: City of Gloucester Parks and Recreational Facilities
Here are the positive features:
- It's the perfect day trip - a huge park and exciting downtown all in one place
- The park is adventurous, with many neat things to explore
- The park features a sand volleyball court, a new playground, a basketball court, tennis courts, and plenty of picnic tables (bring your own grill), a visitors' center, public restrooms and a restaurant
- There are also many secluded places to sit and relax in the park
- Bearskin Neck has a bustling downtown that is open year round
- There is some fantastic dining in downtown Rockport (see below)
Negative features:
- During the summer, parking costs $10 at the park
- During the summer, dogs are not allowed on the beach (but they are still allowed in the rest of the park)
- Bearskin Neck can get pretty crowded in the summer (for good reason)
Great Places to Eat:
Directions: Click here for Google map
The Wellfleet Launchpad is a beautiful section of open, sandy beach on Cape Cod that also happens to be a launching point for hang gliders. It is located in an area called Cahoon Hollow in Wellfleet. At first, it doesn't look like much, but it turned out to be a fantastic place to bring your dog and become a beach bum for a day!
The parking lot is located at the top of a dune, overlooking the magnificent open sea of Cape Cod. Some people just pull into the parking lot for a few minutes to take in the fantastic view! There is beautiful sand and open sea for miles. But the real fun comes when you get out of your car with a picnic lunch in one hand and your dog's leash in the other. Hike down the dune to the beach and spend a few hours breathing in the fresh, salty air. Maybe you'll even see a hang glider take off and fly overhead!
When we went in April there was no one on the beach, even though it was a gorgeous day. I highly recommend visiting Cape Cod in the off-season, because you can often find these amazing natural wonders and have them all to yourself! Plus, there are some doggie restrictions that kick in during the summer months (see below for details).
Here are the positive features:
- Miles and miles of flat, gorgeous, clean beach to walk and play
- It's often secluded, so you can have a private picnic and nap
- You can surfcast for striped bass and bluefish right from the shore
- The unique Cape Cod dunes are unlike any other beach in the country
- Large restrooms are conveniently located in the parking lot (but closed in winter)
- A great place for seashell hunting (we found lots of neat ones)
- Off the beaten path, but shops & restaurants are a short drive
- No ticks! In fact, we didn't see one bug the whole day.
- You might get to watch a hang glider pilot launch and fly!
- A gorgeous place to watch the sun rise (if you're a morning person)
- Unlike the "bay side" of Cape Cod, Cahoon Hollow offers that satisfying rough surf sound of crashing waves
Negative features:
- During the summer, 9am-5pm, no dogs are allowed on the beach (for all Wellfleet restrictions, click here)
- You must bring all food and fresh water in with you (check out Box Lunch in Wellfleet for your picnic)
I highly recommend that you take a drive along the magnificent Cape Cod seashore someday and check out this great spot!
Directions to Entrance #1 (Two Brother's Trail): Click here for Google map
Directions to Entrance #2 (Main Entrance): Click here for Google map
Prouty Woods is a beautiful piece of property that includes over 107 acres of open fields and easy hiking trails, a protected forest of the New England Forestry Foundation. The area is named after Don and Roger Prouty, who made it possible.
Two Brother's Trail is a lovely walking path that leads to Prouty Woods. Upon entry, you will immediately feel soothed by the nearby babbling brook and horse stable. The trail will quickly lead you to two huge fields - great for some doggie exercise! Walk a bit further and you will see markings for the "Loop" trail, an easy hiking trail that leads to beautiful Long Lake and then back around to the fields again. The total distance of this Loop walk is approximately 2 miles, and there are several other trails in the area as well. Parking is available at the church across the street.
You can also enter Prouty Woods by parking at the end of Wilderness Road (there is a marked lot available). Walk down the main path and you will be immediately immersed in the forest! You can turn down the trails and explore the forest (the 'downhill' trail will lead you to the lake), or you can continue walking straight for about 15 minutes up a gradual hill. This walk will take you to a lovely summit, where you will get the best views of the area. There are also picnic tables and an education center there. This is a fantastic spot to watch the sun set (but get back down the path quickly before it gets too dark!).
You can find more info and a map here.
Information source: Littleton Conservation Trust
Here are the positive features:
- Lots of open space for your dog to run and play
- Clearly marked hiking trails that are short and easy
- Access to beautiful Long Lake for your dog to drink or swim
- Close to downtown Littleton and I-495
- Very shady trails, to escape the summer sun
- Great for all seasons, from winter snow shoeing to summer hiking
- Very peaceful with pretty views of the Monadnock Mountains and Mount Wachusett
- Free parking
Negative features:
- Some parts of the trails can be muddy (especially in spring)
- The large open fields at Two Brother's Trail get overgrown in the summer, but they are flat and open during other seasons
- Ticks abound, especially in spring & fall, so plan on checking yourself and your dog for them
- Bring your bug spray in the summer!
- There are no facilities (restrooms, water, etc.) so plan ahead if you want to hike around for a while
Directions: Click here for Google map (to a B&B in Prospect Harbor)
The rugged coast of Maine is a spectacular sight, especially if you travel north to Acadia National Park. This area, with its thousands of wild acres, will beckon you (and Fido) to experience one adventure after another!
You can enjoy Acadia in two ways: city style and/or country style. City style would include visiting Bar Harbor, which offers a bustling (but quaint) downtown with lots of shops, restaurants, and a park right on the ocean. Country style includes a limitless supply of secluded bed & breakfasts, hiking, picnicking, sightseeing, and of course relaxing near the ocean.
We've stayed in three B&Bs in Acadia and visited several restaurants, shops, and natural wonders which I've listed below. We enjoyed each place (or I wouldn't post them here). There are so many more things to see, you can easily create your own adventure!
Here are the positive features:
- Over 47,000 acres of mountains, ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes to enjoy
- Hiking/walking trails and great picnic spots seem to be everywhere
- There are 17 mountains in the area for you to climb
- With so much space, it's easy to find privacy and seclusion even in the summer!
- Dog friendly lodging abounds (search Google or see below for where we stayed)
- Incredible sightseeing in your car with lots of opportunities to pull over and explore
- Go from peaceful seclusion to bustling downtown areas
- Fantastic restaurants in random places (see below for the places we visited)
- It's easy to get take-out and have a picnic with your dog
- Lots of info is available to help you plan your trip (click here)
Negative features:
- Acadia is so big, it can take a long time to drive from one destination to another
- There is some serious wildlife in the forest, so you need to be careful and aware when hiking with your dog
- Some hiking trails feature terrain that may be too rough for your dog, so plan ahead
- Swimming beaches are off-limits to dogs in the summer
Where we stayed:
Where we ate:
Where we shopped:
Natural wonders that we visited:
The above listings are such a drop in the bucket when you consider the many hundreds (perhaps thousands) of places to stay, eat, shop, and visit. Acadia is a magical place for people and puppies!
Directions: Click here for Google map
If you like taking long walks on the beach with your dog, but without the crowds, then Old Orchard Beach in the off season is a great place to visit.
We recently spent a weekend at Old Orchard Beach and enjoyed the warmth of early spring while the area was still very quiet.
The sandy beach is approximately 7 miles long, dog friendly in the off season, and we found a dog-friendly ocean front motel. Cooper was very happy to have his very own "people-sized" bed in our room!
Here are the positive features:
- Beautiful beach for miles of walking/running with your furry friend
- Dog friendly lodging abounds (search Google or see below for where we stayed)
- Lodging was inexpensive
- No crowds while we were there in March
- Some shops & restaurants are open year-round (see below for the places we visited)
- A fun spontaneous get-away: we reserved our hotel room just hours before we checked in
Negative features:
- Dog friendly lodging is not very high class - but it's better than nothing!
- There are no private areas for your dog to go potty, so bring a few bags to pick it up
- During the day in peak season, dogs are not allowed on the beach
Where we stayed, ate, and shopped:
All in all, we had a great time at Old Orchard Beach in March. The blanket of stars in the evening, beautiful ocean sunrise in the morning, and mild weather during the day were perfect - and we had it mostly to ourselves!
Directions: Click here for Google map
Forge Pond was the first exciting place I took Cooper because it was located right behind the house we were living in at the time. It is a small local park that I believe is underutilized because people simply don't know that it exists unless they live nearby.
During the fall, winter and spring, we were almost always the only people/dogs there. It gets a little busier on nice summer days though (especially weekends). The summer season at this beach runs from June - August, which seems to be the only time of year with restrictions. For more information, click here.
Please note that Westford has a 24-hour leash law.
Here are the positive features:
- Free, paved parking
- Large fresh water pond with small sandy beach
- Short trails in the woods (great for potty breaks)
- Swing set and slide for the kids
- Picnic tables
- Fishing allowed (appropriate permits required)
- Canoes/kayaks allowed
- Often empty in off-season, during weekdays, or in the evening
- Pretty New England views
- Breakfast place, pizza place & convenience store are right next to the park
Negative features:
- In the summer, non-residents must pay $5 per person to park
- In the summer, dogs are not allowed on the sandy beach (but you can walk around in the woods nearby and dogs are allowed on the beach in the early morning/evening)
- The park is somewhat small (1-2 acres)
- They don't usually plow the road in the winter
- There are a lot of snowmobiles on the pond in the winter
We now live about 5 miles away from Forge Pond, so we don't go there every day like we used to. But once in a while, we'll drive over there and Cooper gets SOOO excited about it! So apparently dogs really like Forge Pond. :-)
