Best Dog Friendly Vacation Spots In New England – We call this trip “Lincoln’s List” because it was created with our best friend in mind.
Our pup Lincoln has been traveling with us since 2019 and is a big part of our love for road trips. Sitting in the car is the most accessible way to travel (and we bring the Lincoln everywhere).
Best Dog Friendly Vacation Spots In New England
Favorite travel destinations in the last 3 years and what we would choose if we could plan our next trip.
12 Best Dog Friendly Beaches In Isle Of Wight
(2) Lots of time in the woods, hiking, and outdoors (he would probably say areas with few people but lots of squirrels and smells are preferred)
(3) Beaches and lagoons where water is easily accessible may be cooled by sand and mud, where it may remelt, and
So we took a look at our travel schedule and came up with this road trip to Lincoln wish list. If you have a dog who loves to do all the things you do when you travel and you’re looking for dog-friendly travel ideas, this is for you!
Lincoln takes you to New England on this trip because summer and fall temperatures are nice, outdoor activities are plentiful, and you’ll find one of the most dog-friendly national parks in America.
The Best Dog-friendly Hotels In The Uk 2024
This itinerary is similar to our Wicked Good: 10 Day NE Road Itinerary, but with great stops and tips for taking your dog!
In the summer, take advantage of the longer daylight hours and cooler temperatures you’ll find in many states this time of year. Or travel in the fall and take advantage of the spectacular fall foliage, one of the best places in the world to view leaves.
We spent 5 months in Ontario and New England during our 2022 travel season. Two weeks in VT in July, a long weekend camping on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park in early August, three weeks near Lake Placid in NY in mid-August and a month in Ellsworth, NH, ME in September, one month in early October and three weeks in Attleboro, MA in late October. (We also spent three weeks in Ontario at the beginning of our trip.)
There’s never been a worse time to be in New England during these months. Sure, the summer months can be hot at night, but make sure your rental has air conditioning and you’ll be fine. (To be fair, we say we live in Texas, so we have more tolerance for year-round heat than those who live up north. I mean, we don’t do anything without air conditioning. In that sense, we have very little tolerance, ha!)
Best Small Towns In New England For A Beach Vacation
However, if you want to plan your trip for the spectacular fall foliage, we’d say travel in the second week of October. While places with a reputation for greenery can be busy (like Concamagus Highway and Stowe, VT), the views are worth it!
RTL Tip: Need more time on the water while hiking or traveling? Go in July or August. Want to take a leisurely walk through the fall foliage with a warm meal in hand? Visit in October. Want something cool but less crowded? Visit in September.
Lincoln is definitely a fan of the road trips we can take because it makes it infinitely easier for him to bond with us. If you’re close enough to drive anywhere this way, we recommend it. Follow this path to the nearest point and make a full circle to the house.
However, if you can’t drive here, you can bring a good dog, fly into Boston International Airport, and pick up a rental upon landing. If you are traveling by plane, we recommend changing this route slightly and driving from Boston > Lake Placid > Stowe > Lincoln, NH > Acadia National Park > Portland > Boston.
The Best Dog-friendly Holidays In The Uk In 2024
Note: If you live too far to drive all the way and your kid can’t afford to get on a plane (even to Lincoln, unless they’re sitting next to us on a private plane, yikes!), then come! Let us know where you live in the comments below and we’ll ask Lincoln to make another list closer to where you start.
We recommend treating this trip as a traditional road trip, where you will stay at a different location at each stop on your journey. You can check campsites near each location or stay in nearby towns.
For Lincoln, NH, consider Pemi River or Lost River Valley Campgrounds or downtown Lincoln. (Can’t find anything in Lincoln? Look 20 miles south in Kempton, NH. We had a good month at the Red Sleigh Cabin in Kempton.)
For Lake Placid, consider Rollins Pond Campground, Ausble Gasm Campground or Lake Placid Village. (Want a truly spectacular view? Check out a stay at Lake Placid Village
The 10 Best Pet-friendly Hotels In New England 2024
Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake Inn has dog-friendly rooms and a restaurant with a dog-friendly patio. Can’t find anything in Lake Placid? (Try near Wilmington.)
For Stowe, consider Smuggler’s Notch State Park Campground or downtown Stowe. (You can also check it out in Burlington, about 40 minutes away. Downtown Burlington is very dog-friendly!)
For Acadia National Park, consider Blackwoods Campground or the town of Bar Harbor. (Can’t find anything there? Try Ellsworth, ME. If you come to Ellsworth, check out the Blue Hill Mountain Hike at Sunset. It’s beautiful, dog-friendly, and rivals 1/100th the scenery in Acadia!) .
Lincoln (not to be confused with our dog who shares the same name) is smack dab in the middle of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. That’s why it’s a great place to start your dog journey.
The Best Dog-friendly Beaches In The Us
You could easily spend a week exploring this part of New Hampshire because there are so many dog-friendly hikes and things to do nearby! (We spent a month here and didn’t get to do or see everything on our list!)
But since we only have one day to enjoy the White Mountains on this trip, here are our top tips for the best things to do.
This is a bonus because you can drive the Concamagus Highway on your way from Portland to Lincoln. (So come back to this area when you make that drive during your road trip. If you don’t make the whole trip, take the Concamagus Highway back during your stay. (Consider bringing it. About two hours to Lincoln.)
If you’re visiting in the fall, the Concamagus Highway is one of the most scenic stretches of road you’ll ever drive. If you don’t go in the fall, it will
Pet-friendly Cabins In Vermont
The Concamagus Highway is 34 miles long between Lincoln, NH and Conway, NH. This is one of the most popular drives in New Hampshire and one of the best places to see fall foliage in the United States. While this scenic drive has plenty of views and trails to keep you busy throughout your entire trip, we recommend stopping for a few lookouts rather than making any stops along the way. (We’re cool!) Note: Heading in the fall? Get up early This drive gets crowded quickly, so drive the night before or get up early to avoid long lines and heavy traffic to your next destination. Concamagus Highway is great, but not the only activity of the day!
Let’s get you and the pup out of the car and into the woods! This activity kept us very busy during our month in New Hampshire. We studied every weekend and many weeknights. One of the best things to do in New Hampshire is to hit the trails and spend time outdoors.
You can see all of our favorite hikes in New Hampshire here, but if you want our top recommendation, we suggest you head to Welch-Tuckey Mountain. About 4.4 miles long, the loop is a wonderful half-day hike with mountain views. If you like varied terrain between exposed rock faces and forest trails, it’s dog-friendly, good exercise and a lot of fun.
If you’re looking for this hike of all trails, look for the Welch-Tuckey Loop Trail (not “Welch Mountain Rock Ledge” or “Welch and Tuckey Mountains”). Following the full loop route will ensure you see the edge of the cliff
Dog Friendly Portland, Maine
Both Welch and Dickey Hill. We recommend walking counter-clockwise to climb the steep sections. (This is especially helpful when you visit if it’s wet or in the fall when leaves are on the ground. Take your time; the terrain can be slippery.)
Dog friendly? Everything in this itinerary is approved by Lincoln (the dog)! Note that this hike has steep rocky sections.
RTL Tip: Catch up
