Doggin' Maryland: Best of the Best

 

As the temperatures drop, you may notice your dog getting friskier. Autumn is the best time of year to get out and exercise with your dog on Maryland trails. Maryland 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.

BEST PLACE FOR YOUR DOG TO SWIM: Matapeake Park (Stevensville). This sandy bay beach on the Eastern Shore is a bit too industrial for sunbathers so it is a perfect place for dogs to romp - and they can do so off-leash. Located just south of the Bay Bridge , there are splendid views of the Chesapeake Bay and bridge.

BEST ONE-HOUR WORKOUT FOR YOUR DOG: (Harpers Ferry) Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. The Stone Fort Trail climbs steadily and relentlessly up the 1,444-foot high Maryland Heights. You're just walking your dog - imagine pulling five-ton guns up the same route during the Civil War.

PRETTIEST HIKE FOR YOUR DOG: Swallow Falls State Park (Oakland). The pride and joy of William Gillette's 184-acre estate was his three-mile narrow gauge railroad that looped through the woods below the castle. The rails are gone but the bed makes a fanciful pathway for your dog's travels through the park.

BEST HIKE TO VIEWS WITH YOUR DOG: Sugarloaf Mountain (Comus). Your dog can enjoy the views from three concentric routes at different elevations, ranging from 2.5 to 7 miles before tackling the short but steep climb to the summit.

BEST BEACH TO HIKE WITH YOUR DOG: Assateague National Seashore (Berlin). Miles and miles of open sand await your dog south of the walk-in campground every day of the year.

BEST HALF-HOUR HIKE WITH YOUR DOG: Robert E. Lee Park (Baltimore). The Lakeside Park Loop in this unofficial Baltimore dog park will offer plenty of canine companionship and great swims in Lake Roland.

MOST HISTORIC HIKE WITH YOUR DOG: Antietam National Battlefield (Sharpsburg). Your dog is welcome to come along on your exploration of the grounds where more Americans died in one day than at any time in the nation's history. The Snavely Ford Trail is a 2.5-mile footpath that is a serene route for contemplation.
<br><br>
BEST OPEN-FIELD HIKING WITH YOUR DOG: Fair Hill NRMA (Rising Sun). The former estate of William duPont, Jr. rumbles across more than 5,000 acres of rolling hills and grass sweet enough to nurture Barbaro, the legnedary 2006 Kentucky Derby winner.
<br><br>
BEST PLACE TO CIRCLE A LAKE WITH YOUR DOG: Centennial Park (Columbia). Although it is paved and often crowded, the 2.4-mile trip around the centerpiece lake in this award-winning park will set any dog's tail to wagging.

BEST PLACE TO LOSE YOURSELF IN THE WOODS WITH YOUR DOG: Catoctin Mountain Park (Thurmont). Hey, this is where Presidents come to hide out in Camp David so you can surely disappear in the wooded glens and hillsides with your dog here.

Find out about these and other destinations for your dog in DOGGIN' MARYLAND: THE 100 BEST PLACES TO HIKE WITH YOUR DOG IN THE FREE STATE, $12.95. So what are you waiting for? Your dog will want to climb Maryland's highest mountain (page 71), hike to a working still (page 21), swim under Maryland's highest waterfall (page 36), hunt for some of Maryland's 42 native orchids (page 67), stare down into America's first chromium mine (page 45)...

<<Back To The Doggin' Maryland Page

<<Back To Article Index