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Best Trails for Dog Walks by State

Best Trails for Dog Walks by State

Find your next favorite walking spot with this handy guide of the top dog-friendly hike and bike trails by state.

Like me, my pup can get a little restless. After a long winter of quick walks and cold paws, there’s nothing quite like stretching our legs and heading out on a trail. Chalk it up to the fresh air or heart-pumping exercise, but a nice walk leaves us both feeling playful and content.

Finding the best place to take dog walks near me when the weather gets nice is a favorite past time in my house—even while traveling. Nearly every state has a pet-friendly path or two that’s worth the trek to find. If you or your dog walker are looking for a fun excursion, start by checking out this state-by-state guide to dog-friendly hike and bike trails. Without further ado, here they are: The 55 best dog walks in America!

 

Alabama

Aldridge Creek Greenway

Address: Aldridge Creek Greenway, Huntsville, AL 35803
Trail Length: 5.49 miles
Extras: Wheelchair accessible, bird-watching, road bypasses

 

Alaska

Bird to Gird Pathway

Address: Bird to Gird Trail, Anchorage, AK 99540
Trail Length: 13.3 miles
Extras: Whale-watching, picnic tables

 

Arizona

Shaw Butte

Address: 12950 N. Seventh St., Phoenix, AZ 85020
Trail Length: 4.6 miles
Extras: Views, looped trail

 

Arkansas

Lake Fayetteville Trail

Address: 1153 Lake Fayetteville Road, Fayetteville, AR 72764
Trail Length: 5.5 miles
Extras: Picnic tables, playgrounds, botanical garden

 

California

Oso Trail Loop at Caspers Wilderness Park

Address: 33401 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Trail Length: 12 miles
Extras: Views, various difficulty levels

Ring Mountain Preserve Hike

Address: 5200 Paradise Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925
Trail Length: 1.8 miles
Extras: Looped trail, views

McCloud River Falls Trail

Address: Upper Fall Road, CA 96057
Trail Length: 4 miles
Extras: Views, swimming

Colorado

Animas River Trail

Address: US-160 & Highway 550, Durango, CO 81301
Trail Length: 7 miles
Extras: Restroom facilities, dog park

 

Connecticut

Southford Falls Park Trail

Address: 175 Quaker Farms Road, Southbury, CT 06488
Trail Length: 1.8 miles
Extras: Views, various difficulty levels

 

Delaware

Chestnut Hill Trail

Address: Chestnut Hill Trail, Newark, DE 19711
Trail Length: 3.4 miles
Extras: Views

 

Florida

Fern Trail

Address: 501 Easterwood Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Trail Length: 3 miles
Extras: Dog park, multiple easy access points

Van Fleet State Trail

Address: 7683 Berkley Road, Polk City, FL 33968
Trail Length: 29.2 miles
Extras: Picnic tables, restroom facilities, wheelchair accessible, hunting

 

Georgia

Sweetwater Creek Trails

Address: 1750 Mount Vernon Road, Lithia Springs, GA 30122
Trail Length: 15 miles
Extras: Various difficulty levels and lengths, bird-watching, fishing

 

Hawaii

Kapa’ele’ele Trail

Address: 52-222 Kamehameha Highway, Kaaawa, HI 96730
Trail Length: 1.2 miles
Extras: Views, restroom facilities

Idaho

Jump Creek Falls

Address: South Jump Creek Road, Marsing, ID 83639
Trail Length: 0.5 miles
Extras: Swimming

 

Illinois

Schweitzer Woods Forest Preserve

Address: 16N690 Sleepy Hollow Road, West Dundee, IL 60118
Trail Length: 150 acres of various wooded paths
Extras: Approved off-leash area

 

Indiana

Pate Hollow Trail

Address: Pate Hollow Trail, Bloomington, IN 47401
Trail Length: 7.7 miles
Extras: Camping, swimming

 

Iowa

Kruidenier Trail around Gray’s Lake

Address: 2101 Fleur Drive, Des Moines, IA 50315
Trail Length: 1.9 miles
Extras: Swimming, fishing

 

Kansas

George Lathan Hiking Trail

Address: George Latham Trail, Berryton, KS 66409
Trail Length: 4 miles
Extras: Hiking-only trail, camping

 

Kentucky

Berea Pinnacles

Address: The Pinnacles Hiking Trails, Berea, KY 40403
Trail Length: 7.1 miles
Extras: Views

 

Louisiana

LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens

Address: 4560 Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA 70809
Trail Length: 5 miles
Extras: Views

 

Maine

Bald Mountain Trail

Address: Bald Mountain Road, Rangeley, ME 04964
Trail Length: 1.75 miles
Extras: Bird-watching

 

Maryland

Falling Branch Trail to Kilgore Falls

Address: 1026 Falling Branch Road, Pylesville, MD 21132
Trail Length: 1.3 miles
Extras: Swimming

 

Massachusetts

Blue Hills Skyline Trail

Address: 695 Hillside St., Milton, MA 02186
Trail Length: 11.9 miles
Extras: Bird-watching, views

 

Michigan

Lakeshore Park

Address: 601 S. Lake Drive, Novi, Michigan 48377
Trail Length: 10 miles
Extras: Playgrounds, restroom facilities, picnic tables, swimming

 

Minnesota

Gooseberry Falls State Park

Address: 3206 MN-61, Two Harbors, MN 55616
Trail Length: 20 miles
Extras: Various trails, warming house, picnic areas

 

Mississippi

Tuxachanie Trail

Address: Highway 49, DeSoto National Forest, Saucier, MS
Trail Length: 12 miles
Extras: Fishing

 

Missouri

Lone Wolf Trail

Address: 1401 Kiefer Creek Road, Ballwin, MO 63021
Trail Length: 1.5 miles
Extras: Views

 

Montana

Ousel Falls Trail

Address: Ousel Falls Road, Gallatin Gateway, MT 59730
Trail Length: 1.6 miles
Extras: Picnic tables, fishing

 

Nebraska

Platte River State Park

Address: 14421 346th St., Louisville, NE 68037
Trail Length: 5.1 miles
Extras: Camping, bird-watching

 

Nevada

Mount Rose Summit Trail

Address: Lake Tahoe Basin, Highway 431, Incline Village, NV 89452
Trail Length: 12 miles
Extras: Views, rock climbing, bird-watching

 

New Hampshire

Mount Major and Brook Trail Loop

Address: Mount Major Trail, Alton Bay, NH 03810
Trail Length: 2.4 miles
Extras: Restroom facilities

 

New Jersey

Mount Tammany Red Dot and Blue Blaze Trails

Address: 1 I-80, Columbia, NJ 07822
Trail Length: 1.7 miles
Extras: Views

 

New Mexico

Grindstone Lake Loop

Address: Grindstone Lake, Ruidoso, NM 88345
Trail Length: 6.7 miles
Extras: Swimming, picnic areas, fishing

 

New York

Kaaterskill Falls Trail

Address: Kaaterskill Wild Forest, Saugerties, NY 12477
Trail Length: 2 miles
Extras: Views

 

North Carolina

Catawba Falls

Address: 3074 Catawba River Road, Old Fort, NC 28762
Trail Length: 4 miles
Extras: Camping, views

 

North Dakota

Beaver Lake State Park

Address: 3850 70th St. SE, Wishek, ND 58495
Trail Length: 4.3 miles
Extras: Swimming, bird-watching

 

Ohio

Nelson-Kennedy Ledges State Park

Address: 12440 OH-282, Garrettsville, OH 44231
Trail Length: 1 mile
Extras: Bird-watching, variety of difficulty levels

 

Oklahoma

Bison Trail

Address: Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, 32 Refuge Headquarters Road, Indiahoma, OK 73552
Trail Length: 6 miles
Extras: Views

 

Oregon

Toketee Falls Trail

Address: Toketee Falls Trailhead, Idleyld Park, OR 97447
Trail Length: 0.5 mile
Extras: Restroom facilities, picnic area

 

Pennsylvania

Tucquan Glen Loop Trail

Address: State Route 3017, Holtwood, PA 17532
Trail Length: 2.4 miles
Extras: Bird-watching, hunting

 

Rhode Island

Fort Barton and Fort Barton Woods

Address: 360 Highland Road, Tiverton, RI 02878
Trail Length: 3.5 miles
Extras: Hiking only

 

South Carolina

Yellow Branch Falls Trail

Address: 2911-3023 Highlands Highway, Walhalla, SC 29691
Trail Length: 3.5 miles
Extras: Bird-watching

South Dakota

Flume Trail

Address: Trailhead entrance near SE shore of Sheridan Lake in Black Hills National Forest
Trail Length: 11 miles
Extras: Historic sites, views

 

Tennessee

Stone Door Trail

Address: 1183 Stone Door Road, Beersheba Springs, TN 37305
Trail Length: 1.6 miles
Extras: Camping, bird-watching

 

Texas

Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail

Address: 3755 S. Capital of Texas Highway, Austin, TX 78704
Trail Length: 14 miles
Extras: Rock-climbing, caves

Buffalo Bayou Park

Address: 2929 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX 77019
Trail Length: 4.8 miles
Extras: Restroom facilities, dog park, skate park

 

Utah

Stewart Falls Trail

Address: Stewart Falls Trail, Provo, UT 84604
Trail Length: 3.5 miles
Extras: Bird-watching

 

Vermont

Stowe Pinnacle Trail

Address: 663 Upper Hollow Road, Stowe, VT 05672
Trail Length: 3 miles
Extras: Views

 

Virginia

Spy Rock Trail

Address: 359 Fish Hatchery Lane, Montebello, VA 24464
Trail Length: 5.7 miles
Extras: Camping

Washington

Beacon Rock Trail

Address: Beacon Rock Trail, Stevenson, WA 98648
Trail Length: 2 miles
Extras: Camping, picnic areas, restroom facilities

 

West Virginia

Long Point Trail

Address: Long Point Trail, Fayetteville, WV 25840
Trail Length: 1.6 miles
Extras: Views

 

Wisconsin

Lost Creek Falls

Address: Trail Drive, Cornucopia, WI 54827
Trail Length: 2.2 miles
Extras: Snowshoeing, views

 

Wyoming

Big Sandy Trailhead

Address: Southern Wind River Range 54 miles south of Pinedale, WY
Trail Length: 11 miles
Extras: Camping