Dog Vacations New England – We call this road trip “Lincoln’s List” because it was designed with our furry friend in mind.
Our son, Lincoln, has been traveling with us since 2019 and is a big part of why I love road trips. Simply put, the easiest way to travel with you is in the car (and we bring Lincoln everywhere we go).
Dog Vacations New England
Here are her favorite travel destinations from the past 3 years and what she would choose if we could plan our next road trip.
One Of New England’s Most Iconic Resorts 🏨✨ @omnimountwashington , If You’re Looking For Once In A Lifetime Resort (or Perhaps Once A Year Like Many Folks) You’ll Want To Check Out Mount Washington.
(2) woods, hiking, and lots of time outside (and that tells us it prefers places with fewer people but more squirrels and smells).
(3) Sand and mud on beaches and lakes where water is easily accessible can cool, and it can smell.
So we turned to our travel brochures and put together this road trip with Lincoln’s wish list in mind. If you’re looking for dog-friendly road trip ideas because you have a dog who wants to do everything you do while you’re traveling, this is for you!
Lincoln takes you to New England on this road trip as summer and fall temperatures are high, outdoor activities abound, and here you’ll find one of the friendliest national parks in the United States.
Dog-friendly Newport, Rhode Island Fall Road Trip.
This trip is similar to The Goodness of the Road: Day-10 NE Road Trip, but with only the top stops and suggestions for bringing your baby with you!
In summer, take advantage of the longer daylight hours and cooler temperatures that you’ll find in many other areas at this time. Or take a road trip in the fall to take advantage of the amazing fall foliage at one of the best places in the world for foliage viewing.
We spent 5 months in Ontario and New England during the 2022 travel season, we spent two weeks in VT in July, a week long camp on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park in early August, and three weeks near the Lake in NY in late August. A month in Campton, NH in September, three weeks in Ellsworth. , ME in early October, and three weeks in Attleboro, MA in late October. (We spent three weeks in Ontario at the beginning of our trip.)
It’s not a bad time to be in New England these few months. Sure, the summer months can get hot at night, but make sure your rental has air conditioning and you’ll be fine. (To be fair, we’re just like people living in Texas, so our tolerance for temperature is higher year-round than northerners. That being said, we wouldn’t do anything without it either. No. Air conditioning, hence the feeling, our tolerance is really low, haha! )
Our Newest Dog Friendly Holiday Cottages In Fabulous Norfolk
However, if you want to plan your road trip with beautiful autumn leaves, I would say that you should aim to travel in the second week of October. Although the areas known for foliage are busy (ie Kankamagus Highway and Stowe, VT), the views are worth it!
RTL Tip: Need more time to walk or stay in the water during your road trip? Visit in July or August. Want a cozy fall foliage hike with warm apple cider in hand? Visit in October Want cooler temperatures but fewer crowds? Visit in September.
No doubt Lincoln was a fan of our travels. If you are close enough to this road trip to drive, this is what we recommend. Drive to the nearest stop on this tour and make a full circle to get home.
However, if you can’t get here by car and you have a dog that fits a plane, you can fly into Boston International Airport and pick up a rental car when you land. If you are flying, we recommend replanning the trip to Boston > Lake Placid > Stowe > Lincoln, NH > Acadia National Park > Portland > Boston.
Most Dog Friendly Vacations In New England
Note: If you live too far to drive anywhere on this road trip and your child has no way of getting on a plane (not even a Lincoln, unless she’s flying in a private seat next to us, no!), let where you live Let us know in the comments below and I’ll ask Lincoln to put up another listing closer to your destination.
We recommend treating this tour as a traditional road trip, where you stay at a different location at each stop on your tour. You can check out campsites anywhere near you or stay in towns near you.
Consider Lincoln, NH, Pemi River or Valley Campgrounds or the city of Lincoln. (Can you find anything in Lincoln? Check out Campton, NH, 20 miles south. We spent a good month in a red sleigh cabin in Campton.)
In Lake Placid, consider Rollins Pond Campground, Ausable Chasm Campground or Lake Placid Village. (Want a truly spectacular view? Looking for accommodations in quaint Lake Placid Village
New England Dog Friendly Vacations
Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake Inn has dog-friendly rooms and a restaurant with a dog-friendly patio. Can you find anything in Lake Placid? (Try near Wilmington.)
For Stowe, consider Smuggler’s Notch State Park Campground or the town of Stowe. (You can check it out in Burlington, about 40 minutes away. Downtown Burlington is incredibly dog-friendly!)
In Acadia National Park, consider Blackwoods Campground or the town of Bar Harbor. (Can you find anything there? Try Ellsworth, me!)
Lincoln (the city, not to be confused with our dog, which shares the same name) is smack dab in the middle of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. That’s what makes it a great place to start an eco-friendly road trip.
Dog-friendly New England
You could easily spend a week exploring this area of New Hampshire because there are tons of great dog-friendly hikes and things to do nearby! (We spent a month here and couldn’t see everything on our list!)
But as we set aside one day for you to enjoy the White Mountains on this road trip, here are our top tips for the best things to do.
This is a bonus because you can drive the Concamagus Highway on the way from Portland to Lincoln. (So every time you’re on your road trip, come back to this section. If you’re not doing the whole trip, consider spending about two hours driving around Concamagus Road during your stay in Lincoln.)
If you’re visiting in the fall, the Concamagus Highway will be one of the most scenic drives of your entire trip. If you haven’t come this fall, it will
Lincoln’s List: Dog-friendly Ne Road Trip Idea — Road Trip Locals
Concamagus Highway is a 34 mile stretch of road between Lincoln, NH and Conway, NH. It’s one of New Hampshire’s most popular drives and one of the best places in the United States to see fall foliage. Although there are many sights and trails along the scenic drive, we recommend that you only stop at a few sights, although they may keep you busy during your trip. (We’ve got a better one coming up!) Note: Traveling in the fall? Get up early. The route fills up quickly, so either ride the night before or tell yourself to go to bed early to avoid long lines and heavy traffic on your way to your next destination. Kancamagus Highway is great, but not your only activity for the day!
Let’s get you and your baby out of the car and into the woods! Walking was the busiest activity of our month in New Hampshire. We are exploring every weekend and many nights a week. Spending time outdoors on a trail is one of the best things to do in New Hampshire.
You can see all of our favorite hikes in New Hampshire here, but if you want our top recommendation, we suggest going to Welch-Dickey Mountain. This 4.4-mile loop is a beautiful half-day hike with expansive mountain views. It’s dog-friendly, great exercise and great fun as you traverse the varied terrain between rock faces and tree-lined trails.
If you’re looking to hike all of these trails, find the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail (not “Welch Mountain Rock Ledge” or “Welch and Dickey Mountains”). Following the full circle path you will see the edge of the cliff
Fall Dog-friendly Guide To Stowe, Vermont — Hellorubydoodle
Both Wales and Dickey Mountain. We recommend that you go an hour early so that you can climb the longest sections. (This is especially helpful if it’s wet or you’re visiting during leafy season. Take your time; the ground can be slippery.)
Dog friendly? Really. Everything on this road trip is Lincoln (the dog) approved! Just be aware that this open rock walk has steep sections.
RTL Tip: Catch it
Nice to share about Dog Friendly Vacations 2024 to you.