Book Description

"They look like they are having the time of their lives."If you hike with dogs chances are you have heard sentiments like that from other trail users when they see your happy trail dogs. Dogs are happy on any trail but they become espe- cially excited on new trails. New scents to sniff. New sounds to hear. New sights to see.Every year an estimated 15 million people travel with their dogs. But our best trail companions are not always wel- come where we most want to go. National parks ban dogs from trails for the most part and more than half of America's 1,500+ public beaches don't allow dogs. But let's not dwell on the negative - our dogs will not allow it.Are these the 300 best hikes in America you can take with your dog? While there are many, many hikes described in this book that are on "best lists" and "must-do lists" and "bucket lists" the goal here is to emphasize the rich variety of hiking experiences that await you and your dog. There are canine hikes dusted in history, canine hikes to unusual destinations, and canine hikes that are notable just because. There is a mix of leg-stretchers and hikes requiring a full day on the trail.All the day hikes are in the continental United States that can be reached by driving. The selected hikes are spread throughout regions so that you are never far from a special outing with your dog.How do I use this book? The 300 day hikes are broken into 14 different regions of the country. In each section the trails are presented alphabetically by the park involved. In the index are all the parks, alphabetized by state.4Before each hike description is a symbol. They represent: *The hike is rated for difficulty; either E, M, or S. There is also a time estimate of the duration of the hike. Easy hikes and strenuous hikes explain themselves. Moderate hikes typically involve either several hours of relatively easy hiking or a short period of lung-busting effort that doesn't last long enough to be rated as strenuous. The time estimates can help distinguish the character of a moderate hike.*The availability of a campground in the park or near the trailhead is indicated. This does not refer to primitive camping which may sometimes be available. These are day hikes.*The swimmer indicates the chance for your dog to have a swim on the hike. While this is usually full dog-pad- dling it may only be splashing for larger dogs.*The dollar sign will tell you if an admission fee is required to take this canine hike.*If a hike has a jeep symbol it means that at least part of the trip to the trailhead will be on unpaved roads. All of the canine hikes in this book can be reached by low-clearance, two-wheel drive cars