Doggin’ Jersey

Doggin' Jersey: The 100 Best Places to Hike with Your Dog in the Garden State Buy on Amazon

Hike With Your Dog Adventure Log - New Jersey: Places in the Garden State Where You Won't Be Able to Wipe the Wag off Your Dog's Tail Buy on Amazon

Have you ever considered how far you walk with your dog? If you walk just 15 minutes a day you will have walked far enough in your dog's lifetime to cross the United States. With all that walking ahead of you, aren't you ready for a new place to take a hike with your dog?

New Jersey is a great place to hike with your dog. Within a short drive your dog can climb mountains that leave him panting, trot down sand trails, walk on some of the most historic grounds in America, explore dark ravines or circle lakes for miles and never lose sight of the water. DOGGIN' JERSEY explores the state's top trails with your best friend in mind...

No Dogs!
DOGGIN' JERSEY tells you the parks that don't welcome dogs. Also packed inside these 192 pages are...
...local beach regulations for dogs
...tips on outfitting your dog for a hike
...tips on practicing low impact hiking with your dog
...and much more

What makes a great place to take your dog hiking? Well, how about a paw-friendly surface to trot on? Grass and sandy soil are a lot more appealing than asphalt and rocks. A variety of hikes is always good - long ones for athletic dogs and short ones for the less adventurous canine. Dogs always enjoy a refreshing place to swim as well. For dog-friendly parks our guides describe the trail options for your dog, evaluate park traffic from other users, tell you whether you will need a guide dog to find your way around and, of course, tell you how to get to the park.

While walking the dog around New Jersey, we bring along generous helpings of local history, botany, geology, architecture and more. So what are you waiting for? Your dog will want to hike across a 470-foot floating bridge (page 115), walk through the remains of a 19th century Utopian community (page 79), sniff out Cape May diamonds (page 47), hike to the scenic lookout built on the recommendation of Lady Bird Johnson (page 105), explore rare Dutch barns (page 67)...

THE BEST OF THE BEST

BEST PLACE FOR YOUR DOG TO SWIM
Cattus Island County Park (Toms River)
It will take a hike of more than one mile so when you reach the narrow strip of sand along Barnegat Bay your dog will be ready to jump into the gentle waves.

BEST ONE-HOUR WORKOUT FOR YOUR DOG
Hacklebarney State Park (Chester)
Most of this hemlock-kissed park can be experienced on the sporty Main Trail that sweeps down the ravine to the Black River and works its way up the opposite side.

PRETTIEST HIKE FOR YOUR DOG
Ken Lockwood Gorge WMA (Califon)
A rutted dirt road leads through this 2.5-mile gorge beside the frisky green-brown waters of the South Branch of the Raritan River.

BEST HIKE TO VIEWS WITH YOUR DOG
Stokes State Forest (Branchville)
Four different trails or varying lengths lead up Sunrise Mountain to the Appalachian Trail and long views to the east.

BEST BEACH TO HIKE WITH YOUR DOG
Higbee Beach WMA (Cape May)
At the mouth of the Delaware Bay your dog can hike the sand beach and dunes anytime. For years, Higbee Beach was known as the area’s “nude beach” but now your dog is the only visitor legally allowed to hit the beach without a suit.

BEST HALF-HOUR HIKE WITH YOUR DOG
Worthington State Forest (Van CAmpens Glen)
An out-and-back ramble through a shady ravine leading to a sparkling waterfall and swimming in the plunge pool will have your dog’s tail wagging the entire way.

MOST HISTORIC HIKE WITH YOUR DOG
Morristown National Historic Park (Morristown)
No doubt about it, your dog will have a better time on these wooded trails in Jockey Hollow than the Colonial Army did twice during the American Revolution.

BEST PLACE TO CIRCLE A LAKE WITH YOUR DOG
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (Kittaninny)
A long hike on the Appalachian Trail will bring your dog to one of the wonders of New Jersey, Sunfish Pond, a glacial lake with water so clear and deep it was once thought bottomless. A trail, dominated by large boulders on the west shore, circumnavigates the Sunfish Pond.

BEST PLACE TO LOSE YOURSELF IN THE WOODS WITH YOUR DOG
Wharton State Forest (Batsto) With more than 500 miles of unpaved sand roads if you find the trails in this 100,000 acres of wilderness too confining you can find hours - or days - of solitary hiking with your dog here.