5 Dog-Friendly Hiking Trails in the Catskills
If dogs could talk, they’d probably tell us when they’re overdoing it. Pay attention to their cues and avoid pushing them too far beyond their comfort level.
This dog-friendly hiking trail offers a variety of different landscapes and fun stops along the way. This 5.2 mile hike and its 1,000 feet of elevation gain is a great workout for both you and your pup!
Overlook Mountain
The enchanting Overlook Mountain is one of the most unusual hidden gems in Woodstock. A hike here delivers a surprising amount of Catskill surprises in a very short distance. This hike features atmospheric hotel ruins, a historic ledge with carvings, and the best fire tower views in the Catskills. The hike is easy and fun to do at any time of the day, but sunrise here adds some magic.
The Overlook Mountain Trail begins from the Overlook Mountain Wild Forest parking lot on Meads Mountain Road.
Cornish Estate Trail
For those dogs that like a bit of history mixed into their hiking, the Cornish Estate Trail is the perfect trail for you! Located just outside of Cold Spring in the Hudson Valley, this easy scenic trail features historical ruins that you can explore along the way.
The 1.8-mile round-trip hike is one of the easiest hikes within Hudson Highlands State Park and it features several interesting structures including a swimming pool, greenhouse, laundry facility, and more. The ruins were once part of the massive 650-acre Cornish Estate which was owned by Edward J. Cornish, president of the National Lead Company.
To get the most out of your hike, consider combining it with either the Bull Hill Loop or Washburn Trail to create a more challenging hiking route. These loops offer different views and perspectives of the ruins that you have already seen on the Cornish Estate Trail. This can make for a great one-stop hiking trip that is perfect for hikers of all skill levels.
Juniper Creek Trail
This wood-paved trail starts in the Naval Live Oaks Park and follows Juniper Creek around a spring and an old mill. It has signs that explain how the woodland provides food, shelter, and nesting for reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects. A 0.3-mile nature trail is also available, and both are stroller and wheelchair accessible.
As you follow the trail, your dog will trot along a boardwalk and through elaborate pine forests dotted with sparkleberry, cedars, and southern magnolia trees. The 3.5-mile loop offers plenty of shade and mountain laurel blooms in March.
Hikers can also explore Leon Sinks, a series of sinkholes and swamps with boardwalk observation decks. The sinks have deep walls, and dogs and people have drowned there, so keep a close eye on your pet as you hike this trail.
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is one of the more dog-friendly National Parks in America with around 80 miles of hiking trails and a number of cottages that allow dogs to stay. The Green and Nolin rivers flow through the park creating a diverse environment of plant life. This makes for a scenic hiking experience as well as a sanctuary for wildlife.
The most prominent feature of the park is the maze of limestone caverns that make up the world’s largest known cave system. It’s also considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to the caves, the park also protects a wide variety of wildlife above ground and underground.
While dogs are not allowed on any of the underground cave tours, they can join you on above-ground hikes like the ADA-accessible trail near the visitor center or the Green River Bluffs Trail. The park even has an outdoor dog kennel so that your pup can hang out while you take a tour or enjoy the park’s woodland cottages. The park offers a range of different tours depending on how much time you would like to spend exploring the caves and how strenuous you want your trip to be.
Glen Canyon Park
This is the sort of hiking trail that will make you and your dog feel like you’ve escaped into a wild, natural world. You’ll see grazing animals, coyotes, and, in the winter months, a great variety of migratory birds.
Located just a short walk from the Glen Park neighborhood, this dog-friendly hike takes you along a canyon that separates the neighborhoods of Glen Park, Diamond Heights, and Miraloma.
Begin your hike at the parking lot off of Diamond Heights Boulevard near the Christopher Playground and ball field. Follow the access trail to the right and you’ll soon encounter a junction. Stay right here, tracing along the Coyote Crags Trail. The trail will wind around the rim of the canyon, then descend into the lower canyon area where you’ll wander past the Islais Creek Trail to the end of the trail at the recreation center.
