If you enjoy hiking with dogs and exploring quaint towns in Maine and surrounding states, I have news for you.
I'm working on a new trail guide about dog hikes near destination cities/towns in New England. Since I'm co-writing this book, I'll be researching three of the six N.E. states: Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Since I will continue writing a weekly blog/newsletter, I will be sharing my discoveries with you as I go (yes, our kind publishers are ok with this). The blog will not include all of the turn-by-turn directions or helpful maps that will be included in the trail guide, but it will give you hiking ideas until you can purchase the published guide to 40 dog-friendly hikes...sometime in 2026.
Since our dog Romy is 120 pounds and moves about as fast as a giant panda, these will not be strenuous hikes. I've been stuck on more than one mountain with the ol' girl and have learned my lesson time and again. She may be part Pyrenees mountain dog, but she's not built for climbing mountains. I may include a few difficult hikes in the guide, but I'll borrow someone else's dog for those. Have an active dog you don't mind sharing? Do let me know.
Last week, I started my hiking research at a trail in Boothbay called the Ovens Mouth Preserve. It's one of my favorite easy-to-moderate hikes and I especially love all the shade and water access it provides for Romy. There are endless variations within this trail network, but we chose the 2.5-mile Ovens Mouth West Loop, which was gorgeous. For details on Ovens Mouth, read the full post here.
Some places we'll explore in the coming weeks are the Quechee Gorge in Vermont, Castle in the Clouds near Lake Winnipesaukee, and Mount Blue State Park in Maine. The book research will involve miles and miles of travel, but I'm eager to discover some of Northern New England's most remarkable dog-friendly hikes. I'll share here first, with all of you. So stay tuned! In the meantime, check out the dog-friendly hiking page on my website here. Happy summer hiking!
I can't wait for the guide. I wait for your newsletter each week. It arrives on my day off and I use it to plan my weekend adventures. Sometimes, I even go the same day! Thank you so much for sharing.