Best Dog Friendly New England Towns – We call this road trip “Lincoln’s List” because we created this destination with our best friend in mind.
Our pup, Lincoln, has been traveling with us since 2019 and is a big part of why we love road trips. The most accessible way to travel with him is to jump in the car (we take Lincoln almost everywhere).
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Their favorite travel destinations in the past 3 years and what would they choose if they were planning our next road trip?
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(2) forests, walking, and spending a lot of time outdoors (and often prefer places with few people but more squirrels and smells);
(3) Recycled beaches and lakes, and what can be reintroduced into sand-cooled water and beaches
So we checked our travel directory and added this road trip to Lincoln to our wish list. If you’re looking for dog road trip ideas because you have a dog that loves everything you do while traveling, this is for you!
Lincoln takes you on this road trip to New England, where summer and fall temperatures are great, outdoor activities abound, and you’ll find one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the United States. .
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This itinerary is similar to the Wicked Good: 10 Day NE Road Trip, but only includes the first stops and suggestions for bringing your pup!
In the summer, take advantage of the longer daylight hours and cooler temperatures you’ll find in many other states at this time of year. Or take a road trip in the fall to take advantage of the amazing fall foliage in one of the best places in the world for leaf browsing.
We spent 5 months in Ontario and New England during the 2022 travel season. We spent two weeks in LH in July, a long weekend camping on Schoodic Point in Acadia National Park in early August, three weeks in Lake Placid, NY in mid to late August, a month in Campton, NH in September. 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 really a bad time to be in New England during those months. Yes, the summer months can be hot at night, but make sure your rental has air conditioning and you’ll be fine. (Truth be told, we live in Texas saying it differently, so it seems our tolerance for heat is higher than those who live in the far north of the year. I mean, we don’t do anything without air conditioning, so in that sense, our tolerance is lower, yes!)
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However, if you want to plan your road trip for the beautiful fall foliage, we say we aim to visit in the second week of October. Although the famous leafy spots are busy (ie Kankamagus Highway and Stowe, VT), the views are worth it!
RTL Tip: Do you need more time to walk or be on the water during your trip? Visit in July or August. Do you want to take a pleasant autumn leaf walk with a warm apple cider in hand? Visit in October Want cooler temperatures but fewer crowds? Visit in September.
Lincoln sure loves the trips we can take because it makes it easier to bond with us. If you’re close enough to drive anywhere on this route, that’s what we recommend. Go to the nearest point on this road and make a full circle to get home.
However, if you can’t drive and have a well-behaved dog on board, you can fly into Boston International Airport and pick up a rental car after landing. If you’re flying, we recommend planning this route a bit and drivingfrom Boston > Lake Placid > Stowe > Lincoln, NH > Acadia National Park > Portland > Boston.
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Note: If you’re staying too long to drive anywhere on this road trip and your pup doesn’t fly (not even Lincoln, unless he’s personally flying in a seat next to , haha!), then jump on it. Let us know where you live in the comments below and we’ll ask Lincoln to add another listing closer to your original destination.
We recommend that you use this route as a traditional road trip where you stay at a different location at each stop on the tour. You can browse campsites near each destination or stay in nearby towns.
For Lincoln, NH, consider the Pemi River or Lost River Valley campgrounds or the city of Lincoln. (Can’t find anything in Lincoln? Check out Campton, NH, 20 miles south. We spent a wonderful month at Red Sleigh Cabins in Campton.)
For Lake Placid, consider Rollins Pond Campground, Ausable Chasm Campground, or Lake Placid Village. (Do you really want an amazing view? Look for lodging in downtown Lake Placid
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Mirror Lake Inn has dog-friendly rooms and a restaurant with a dog-friendly patio. Can’t find anything in Lake Placid? (Try around Wilmington.)
For Stowe, consider Smuggler’s Notch State Park Campground or the town of Stowe. (You can also check into 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 something there? Try Ellsworth, ME. If you come to Ellsworth, check out the Blue Hill Sunset Hike. It’s beautiful, dog-friendly, and rivals the scene in Acadia with 1/100 the population.
Lincoln (the city, not to be confused with our dog, who has the same name) is located in the middle of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. That’s what makes it a great place to start your dog-friendly journey.
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You could easily spend a week exploring this area of New Hampshire because there are so many dog-friendly hikes and things to do in the area! (We spent a month here and couldn’t see everything on our list!)
But since we only plan to enjoy the White Mountain for one day on this road trip, here are our top tips for the best things to do.
This is a bonus because you will actually be driving the Kankamagus Highway on the way from Portland to Lincoln. (So when you make that trip during your road trip, come back to this section. If you’re not doing a full loop on this route, consider going there for about two hours time during your stay and return to Kancamagus Highway in Lincoln.)
If you are visiting in the fall, the Kankamagus trail will be one of the most beautiful trails of your entire trip. If you don’t visit in the fall, here it is
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Kancamagus Highway is a 34 mile highway 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. Although there are many viewpoints and routes on this beautiful route, even if you are busy all the way, we recommend that you only stop at a few viewpoints and not walk the this road (We’ve improved on the next one!) Note: Traveling in the fall? Get up early This tour gets crowded quickly, so leave the night before or get a quick call on the route to your next destination to avoid long lines and heavy traffic. The Kancamagus Highway is great, but better not be your only activity for the day!
We’ll get you and your pup out of the car and into the woods! Hiking was the activity that kept us busy during our month in New Hampshire. We studied every weekend and for weeks. Spending time outdoors on a trail is one of the best things to do in New Hampshire.
You can check out our favorite hikes in New Hampshire here, but if you want our top recommendation, we recommend going to Mount Welch-Dickey. This 4.4 mile loop is a wonderful half day hike with mountain views. Dog friendly, it’s great exercise and fun if you hit a lot of terrain between exposed rocks and wooded trails.
If you’re looking for this all-terrain trail, find the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail (not “Welch Mountain Rock Ledge” or “Welch and Dickey Mountains”). After the full loop you will see the cliff face
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Both Welch and Dickey Mountain. We recommend going counter-clockwise to climb the steep sections. (This is especially helpful if it’s humid or you’re traveling when the leaves fall. Take your time; the ground can be slippery).
Are dogs allowed? Completely. Everything on this road trip is Lincoln (the dog) approved! Note that steep sections of this walk are on exposed rock.
RTL Tip: Take it
