Doggin' County Parks

County parks are the workhorses of our park systems. Playgrounds, ballfields, tennis courts. For many dog owners most of their walks may take place on a jogging track in a nearby county park.

But when we travel with our dogs it is easy to overlook county parks in favor of more celebrated outdoor destinations. Below are three of the best county parks I've come across that you shouldn't pass by when looking for a place to hike with your dog. Do you live near an exceptional county park? let us know at crubay@earthlink.net.

Wells Mills County Park - Ocean County, New Jersey: The queen of Ocean County parks at over 900 acres, Wells Mills will be at the top of any list for canine hikers. For those intimidated by the vast wilderness of New Jersey's Pinelands this is an ideal introduction to the region's cedar swamps and thick pine-oak woodlands. Most of the going is on paw-friendly sand or soft dirt covered in pine straw.
But what truly sets Wells Mills apart from its Pine Barrens neighbors is elevation change. Nothing grueling but in the western part of the park the trails roll joyously up and down across small ridges and sandhills. The name- sake mound of sand on the Penns Hill Trail, the longest of the park's routes at 8.4 miles, reaches 126 feet. That white-blazed trail circles the perimeter of the park; a simliar shorter route is the green-blazed Estlow Trail at 3.5 miles.
Additional loops up to 1.3 miles can be hiked near the Wells Mills Nature Center, a standout among its kind with three stories and 1400 square feet of exhibit space. Climb up to the observation deck for a splendid view of the Pine Barrens and Wells Mills Lake. All told Wells Mills maintains more than 16 miles of trails.

Mt. Pleasant Palmetto Islands County Park - Charleston County, South Carolina: This unique park was originally designed on and around 140 acres of tidal wetlands, marsh, sand barrens, and 16 spotted islands, some as small as three-tenths acre and the largest being 26 acres. As the park expanded into a busy 943 recreational acres with a playground and splash park it retains its naural feel thanks to its thick tropical plantings.
The marquee trail here is the Nature Island Trail, reached by an open boardwalk across a salt marsh. The island was energetically logged through the mid-1900s although it is hard to tell these days. This canine hike is on planks and pine straw that your dog will love under the palmetto, loblolly pine and live oak trees.
Back on the main island you can pick up various hard-packed multi-use trails that connect picnic shelters and skirts the salt marsh. Most of these paths, including the Osprey Nature Trail, pass maze-like through the walls of vegetation. County officials have made creative use of the wasted space under some power lines by creating a permanent dog agility course and a dog park.

Claude Moore Park - Loudoun County, Virginia: Claude Moore Park serves up a pastiche of a dozen short trails that add up to more than ten miles of canine hiking. Two trails - the white-blazed Little Stoney Mountain Trail and the blue-blazed Scout Trail - both follow essentially the same route to explore the entire park so you only have to choose one.
A popular destination for first-time visitors is the scenic overlook at the north end of the park on Little Stoney Mountain (at 442 feet, the hill's name dates to a 1779 survey map). The cobblestones your dog has to negotiate on this stretch of trail are pre-historic souvenirs from wave action ten thousand years ago, when the Potomac River washed against this hill. The scenic view is of the monolithic Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland (another great place to take your dog hiking).
The last known undeveloped section of the historic Vestal's Gap Road runs across the park. This trail, first used by American Indians, was used as early as 1692 by the Rangers of the Potomac under David Strahan. It became the major route for travel between Alexandria and Winchester. George Washington used the road frequently in his travels between Mount Vernon and the western frontier. General Edward Braddock's troops, including Daniel Boone, traveled Vestal's Gap Road during the French and Indian War and today your dog can hike a short ways on the ancient thoroughfare.

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