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Best Dog Friendly New England Towns – We call this trip “Lincoln’s List” because this itinerary was created with our four-legged best friend in mind.
Our pup, Lincoln, has been traveling with us since 2019 and is a big part of why we fell in love with road trips. Simply put, getting in the car is the most affordable way to travel with it (and we take Lincoln almost everywhere).
Best Dog Friendly New England Towns
Favorite travel destinations of the last three years and what she would choose if she could design our next trip.
Cottages By The Sea
(2) woods, walks, and lots of time outside (and she’d probably tell us that areas where people are rare but squirrels and smells abound are the best),
(3) beaches and lakes with easy access to water where he can cool off in addition to sand and mud where he can smell again and
That’s why we redesigned our travel catalog and built this road trip with Lincoln’s bucket list in mind. If you’re looking for dog-friendly travel ideas because you have a dog who wants to do absolutely everything you do while traveling, this is for you!
Lincoln takes you to New England for this trip because the summer and fall temperatures are great, outdoor activities are plentiful, and it’s home to one of the most dog-friendly national parks in the United States.
Lincoln’s List: Dog-friendly Ne Road Trip Idea — Road Trip Locals
This itinerary is similar to our Wicked Good: 10 Day NE Road Trip itinerary, but with only the best stops and suggestions to get your chicken!
During the summer, enjoy long daylight hours and cooler temperatures than many other states this time of year. Or take a fall trip to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage in one of the best places in the world to see leaves.
We spent 5 months in Ontario and New England during our 2022 travel season. We spent two weeks in Vermont in July, a long camping weekend on the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park in early August, three weeks near Lake Placid, New York, from. mid to late. August, one month in Campton, NH in September, three weeks in Ellsworth, ME 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.)
It really wasn’t a bad time to be in New England during those months. Sure, the summer months can be hot at night, but just make sure your rental has air conditioning and you’ll be fine. (To be fair, we say this as people who live in Texas, so our heat tolerance is probably higher than those who live up north year-round. That said, we don’t do anything without air conditioning either, so in that sense, the tolerance is probably lower, ha!)
Kenilworth Castle And Elizabethan Garden
However, we will say that if you want to plan your trip under the beautiful fall foliage, you should aim to travel in the second week of October. Although it will be crowded in places known for their foliage (like Kancamagus Highway and Stowe, VT), the views are worth it!
RTL Tip: Want more time to walk or be on the water during your trip? Visit in July or August. Want cozy autumn walks with hot apple cider in hand? Visit in October. Want cooler temperatures but less crowds? Visit in September.
Lincoln is definitely a fan of driving trips because it means it’s infinitely easier for him to come with us. If you are close enough to a point on this trip to drive, we recommend it. Drive to the nearest point on this route and make a complete loop back home.
However, if you can’t drive there and have a dog that will do well on a plane, you can drive to Boston International Airport and pick up a rental car as soon as you land. If you are flying, we recommend slightly rearranging this route and driving from Boston > Lake Placid > Stowe > Lincoln, NH > Acadia National Park > Portland > Boston.
Bringfido: Pet Friendly Hotels & Dog Travel Directory
Note: If you live too far to drive to a certain point on this trip and your pup can’t get on a plane (and neither can Lincoln, unless he’s flying private somewhere near us, ha!). let us know in the comments below where you live and will ask Lincoln to compile another list closer to your departure destination.
We recommend treating this itinerary as a traditional road trip, staying at a different location on each leg of your journey. You can check campsites near each destination or stay in neighboring 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, just 20 miles south. We had a great month staying at one of the Red Sleigh cabins in Campton.)
For Lake Placid, consider Rollins Pond Campground, Ausable Chasm Campground, or Lake Placid Village. (Want a truly spectacular view? Find lodging in Lake Placid Village located there
The Pig-in The Cotswolds, Restaurant & Hotel Near Cirencester.
Mirror more. Mirror Lake Inn offers dog-friendly rooms and a restaurant with a dog-friendly patio. Can’t find anything in Lake Placid? Try near Wilmington.)
For Stowe, consider Smugglers’ Notch State Park Campground or the town of Stowe. (You can also look about 40 minutes away in Burlington. Downtown Burlington is incredibly 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’re in Ellsworth, check out the sunset hike at Blue Hill Mountain. It’s spectacular, dog friendly, and rivals Acadia’s views with 1/100 the crowds!
Lincoln (the city, not to be confused with our dog of the same name) is located in the middle of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. This is what makes it a great place to start a dog-friendly journey.
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You could easily spend a week exploring this area of New Hampshire on your own, as there are LOTS of great dog hikes and things to do nearby! (We spent a month here and couldn’t do and see everything on our list!)
But since we’re only planning one day for you to enjoy the White Mountains on this road trip, here are our top suggestions for the best things to do.
This is a bonus because you can actually drive the Kancamagus Highway between Portland and Lincoln. (So when you take this route on your trip, come back to this section. If you don’t complete this route, allow about two hours during your stay to make a round trip along the Kancamagus Highway .from Lincoln . )
If you visit in the fall, the Kancamagus Highway will be one of the most scenic stretches of road of the entire trip. And if you don’t come in the fall, you can
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The Kancamagus Highway stretches 34 miles between Lincoln, NH and Conway, NH. It is one of the most popular roads in New Hampshire and one of the best places in the United States to see fall foliage. While there are MANY viewpoints and trails along this scenic drive that can keep you busy for the entire trip, we recommend only stopping at a few viewpoints and no hiking along this drive. (We’ve got a better one coming!) Note: Visiting in the fall? Wake up early. This trip gets busy quickly, so go the night before or get up early to avoid long lines and heavy traffic on the way to your next destination. The Kancamagus Highway is awesome, but ideally it’s not your only activity for the day!
Let’s get you and your pup out of the car and into the woods! Hiking was the activity that kept us most busy during our month in New Hampshire. We went exploring every weekend and many weeknights. Spending time outdoors following a trail is one of the best things to do in New Hampshire.
You can check out all of our favorite New Hampshire hikes here, but if you want our top recommendation, we recommend going to Welch-Dickey Mountain. This approximately 4.5 mile loop is a beautiful half day hike with amazing mountain views. It’s dog friendly, a good workout and a lot of fun if you like varied terrain between exposed rock pieces and wooded trails.
If you are looking for this hike through All Trails, look for the Welch-Dickey Loop Trail (not “Welch Mountain Rock Ledge” or “Welch and Dickey Mountains”). If you follow the entire trail in a loop, you will definitely see the edge of the cliff
Welcome To The First Episode Of Pubs And Pubs!🥳 I’ll Be Bringing You To The Best Dog Friendly Places In New England!🐶 First Up Is @thirstyportland! 🐷 #pupsandpubs
Mount Welch and Dickey. We recommend going counter-clockwise to climb the steepest parts. (This is especially helpful if it’s wet or if you visit during the fall season when there are leaves on the ground. Take your time; the ground can get slippery.)
Dog friendly? Absolute. Everything in this travel itinerary is Lincoln (the dog) approved! Just be aware that there are steep parts of this hike on exposed rock.
RTL Tip: Grab it
