Best Doggy Destinations: New Jersey

Welcome to Best Doggy Destinations! This week we’re featuring awesome places around New Jersey!

It may be wintertime, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make future warm weather plans for your furry friends! Daydreaming about summer may also help warm you up a little. There are plenty of pup-friendly places to visit in New Jersey both during the summer and winter.

1. Longport Dog Beach in Somers Point is the perfect place for both you and your dog to spend a warm day. This stretch of beach located by the Ocean Drive Bridge allows you and your dog to enjoy a day at the beach worry free! It’s free to go, the parking is free, and all dogs are allowed during the day.

During the summer, my friend and I took her Yellow Labrador, Cello (pictured), to the dog beach. Cello loves to swim in the salt water and refuses to come out until we leave. Cello enjoyed his time at the beach, playing ball in the ocean water. For Cello and other water dogs, the beach is the perfect place to swim. Other dogs caught Frisbees or napped in the sun.

2. City of Cape May Dog Park in Cape May is a little more complicated to get into. You would need to apply, prove your dog has had vaccinations, and pay a fee. The website further explains the rules when attending the park as well. But the park is a nice place to let your dog roam around without interference from other families or groups of people. Cape May is also a beautiful place to visit with old traditional homes, the lighthouse, and beaches. So if you’re going out that way, why not stop at the dog park?

3. Sunset Beach, or Diamond Beach, is another excellent Cape May location that allows dogs to run free. This beach is famous for it’s sunsets and the sunken concrete ship SS Atlantus, and is another great place to enjoy time at the beach with your furry friend! Also, if you look closely enough, you can find clear polished stones the locals call “diamonds,” which is where the nickname comes from!

4. The Absecon Lighthouse is another must-see destination where your four-legged friend can join you. There is a small fee to enter, but it’s worth it to climb the 228 steps to the top of the third tallest lighthouse in the nation. Built in 1857, the lighthouse has been closed and restored, but maintained it’s original Fresnel Lens. It is located at the tip of Atlantic City.

5. The Princeton Palmer Lake Trail is the perfect destination for those who want a nice 1-2 hour hike in the woods with your dog. At the Mountain Lakes Open Space Area you will have to keep them leashed, but a nice stroll through the woods will be a great and memorable experience for you and your furry friend.

Spending time outdoors with your dog is a fantastic bonding experience and there are plenty of awesome places to do this in New Jersey. Remember: dogs need space to exercise, and they are much happier to do so when their owners play with them.

Have you ever taken your dog on a special trip? Share a story in the comments!

Featured Image Credit: Armand (modified)