Best Dog Friendly Towns In New England – We call this road trip “Lincoln’s List” because this itinerary was designed with our furry friends in mind.
Our puppy Lincoln has been traveling with us since 2019 and is a big reason why we love road trips. Simply jumping in the car is the easiest way to travel with him (we take our Lincoln almost everywhere).
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Our favorite travel destinations of the past three years, and what we’d choose if we were planning our next road trip.
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(2) woods, hiking, and lots of outdoor activity (may be unusual areas, but areas rich in squirrels and scent are preferred);
(3) beaches and lakes for easy access to water for refreshment while rediscovering the smell of sand and dirt.
So we dug through our travel catalog and put together this road trip with Lincoln’s list. If you have a dog that wants to do all the things you do on your trip and you’re looking for ideas for dog-friendly road trips, then this is for you!
Lincoln takes you on this road trip to New England, where you’ll find delicious summer and fall temperatures, plenty of outdoor activities, and one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the United States.
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This itinerary is similar to our Wicked Good: 10-Day Northeast Road Trip, but only includes top stops and suggestions for taking your pup!
In the summer, you can enjoy longer daylight hours and cooler temperatures than in many other states at this time. Or take a trip in the fall to see amazing fall foliage at one of the best foliage spots in the world.
During the 2022 travel season, we spent 5 months in Ontario and New England. We spent two weeks in Vermont camping on the Schultick Peninsula in Acadia National Park in July, three weeks in mid-to-late August in Lake Placid, NY, a month in Kempton, NH in September, three weeks in Ellsworth ME. early October, and three weeks in Attleboro, MA in late October. (We spent three weeks in Ontario when the trip started.)
New England has certainly had a good few months. Sure, summer nights can be hot, but make sure your rental is air-conditioned and you’re comfortable. (To be fair, we say this from those of us who live in Texas, so our tolerance for heat is probably higher than those who live up north year-round. As such, we do nothing without air conditioning. We don’t do nice, so in that sense, our tolerance might be lower, haha!
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However, we say that if you want to plan your road trip to see beautiful fall foliage, aim for a trip in the second week of October. While places known for foliage can be crowded (like Concamagus Highway and Stowe, Vermont), the view is worth it!
RTL Tip: Want more time to swim or play on the water during your trip? Visit in July or August. Do you want to walk among cozy autumn leaves with hot cider in hand? They visited in October. Want cooler temperatures but fewer crowds? They visited in September.
Lincoln sure enjoyed our road trips because it was easier for him to join us. If you are close enough to drive anywhere on this trip, this is what we recommend. Drive to the nearest location on this route and then return home.
However, if you can’t get there by car and you have a dog that does well on the plane, you can fly into Boston International Airport and rent a car upon landing. If you are flying, we recommend modifying this itinerary slightly to start from Boston > Lake Placid > Stowe > Lincoln, NH > Acadia National Park > Portland > Boston.
Lincoln’s List: Dog-friendly Ne Road Trip Idea — Road Trip Locals
Note: If you live too far away on this road trip to drive anywhere and your pup is unlikely to fly (and Lincoln won’t fly, unless he’s sitting next to us on the private jet, hehe!), let us inform. Where you live in the comments below and we’ll have Lincoln create another listing near your departure destination.
We recommend treating this route as a traditional road trip where you stay in a different location on each leg of the trip. You can find campsites near any destination or stay in nearby towns.
In Lincoln, New Hampshire, consider Pemmy River or Lost River Valley Campground or Lincoln Township. (Can’t find anything in Lincoln? Check out Kempton, New Hampshire, 20 miles south. We spent a great month at the Red Sleigh Lodge in Kempton.)
For Lake Placid, consider Rollins Pond Campground, Ausable Chasm Campground, or Lake Placid Village. (Want a truly spectacular view? Find spots in Lake Placid Village
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Mirror Lake Inn has dog-friendly rooms and a restaurant with a dog-friendly terrace. Can’t find anything in Lake Placid? Try near Wilmington. )
For Stow, consider Smugglers Notch State Park Campground or the town of Stow. (You can also visit Burlington, which is about 40 minutes away. Downtown Burlington is very dog-friendly!)
For Acadia National Park, consider Camp Blackwood or the town of Bar Harbor. (Can’t find anything there? Try Ellsworth, Maine. If you get to Ellsworth, check out the Blue Mountains Hike at sunset. Spectacular and dog-friendly, comparable to the scenery in Arcadia, where the population is only 1/1. Size 100
Lincoln (the city not to be confused with our dogs of the same name) is located in the middle of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. That’s what makes a dog-friendly road trip a great place to start.
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You could easily spend a week exploring this area of New Hampshire, as there are so many dog-friendly hikes and activities nearby! (We were here for a month and couldn’t complete and see everything on the list!)
But since we only have one day to see the White Mountains on this road trip, here are our top picks for the best things to do.
This is a plus since you are driving the Concamagus Highway from Portland to Lincoln. (So come back to this section whenever you’re on a road trip. If you don’t drive the entire route, take the Cancamagus Highway for about two hours during your stay in Lincoln.)
If you go in the fall, the Cancamagus Road is one of the most beautiful routes of your entire trip. If you’re not visiting this city in the fall, this would be it
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The Concamagus Highway is a 34-mile highway between Lincoln, NH and Conway, NH. This is one of New Hampshire’s most popular drives and one of the best places to view fall foliage in the United States. Although this scenic drive has plenty of sights and trails to keep you busy throughout the trip, we recommend stopping at only a few viewpoints and not walking on this drive. (We’ll have better ones next time!) Note: Visiting in the fall? Wake up early This line can get crowded quickly, so go the night before or get up early on your way to your next destination to avoid long lines and crowds. Cancamagus Highway is great, but it better not be your only daily activity!
Let’s get you and your pup out of the car and into the woods! Hiking was New Hampshire’s busiest activity of the month. We would go out exploring every weekend and for several weeks. Hiking is one of the best things to do in New Hampshire.
You can see our favorite hikes in New Hampshire here, but if you want our top recommendations, we recommend heading to Mount Welsh-Dickie. This approximately 4.4 mile loop is a wonderful half-day hike with stunning mountain views. Dog friendly, it’s great exercise and fun if you like a variety of terrain between exposed cliffs and forest trails.
If you are searching for this hike via all trails, search for the Welch-Dickie Loop Trail (not “Welch Mountain Rock Lodge” or “Welch and Dickie Mountains”). Walking the entire loop ensures that you see the rock ledges
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Welch and Dickie Hill. We recommend going counter-clockwise to climb the steepest parts of the mountain. (It can be especially helpful if it’s wet or you’re visiting in the fall when the leaves are on the ground. Take your time; the ground can be slippery).
Are dogs allowed? totally. Everything on this road trip is Lincoln (the dog) approved! Note that this walk has steep sections over exposed rocks.
RTL Tip: Get
