Good news! Virtually all hiking destinations in northern New Jersey permit pets on a six-foot leash. The only exceptions are nature sanctuaries and a few municipal nature parks. To make sure you’re hiking where dogs are permitted, go to nynjtc.org, click on Find Hikes, click the logo of a hiker with a dog, and you can rest assured your furry friend will be permitted. The site also suggests routes based on difficulty, length and other features, and gives directions to parking.

Here are some of our favorite hiking spots close to Hudson County:

Palisades Interstate Park: Stretching from Fort Lee to the New York State border and beyond, here you will find miles of trails along the shoreline of the Hudson River and the Palisades Cliffs, with a number of trails winding up and down the cliffs to make loops. Go to NJPalisades.org for details and multiple parking destinations at the top of the cliffs and boat basins. Pets are permitted on the trails but not permitted in picnic areas, on the pathways of Fort Lee Historic Park or in Allison Park. Download the map and park brochure for free.

 

Ramapo Valley County Reservation: For many pet-lover hikers, this is dog heaven. Features include stunning vistas, with a view of the New York skyline; and several bodies of water, including a lake, a reservoir, a river, multiple brooks and even a waterfall; and several loop-hike options, of all sizes. There are lots of dogs, though, so be prepared if yours is skittish around other dogs.

Other favorite destinations include Ramapo Mountain State Forest, Norvin Green State Forest and the City of Newark Pequannock Watershed (permit required).

For maps and apps to plan your routes, go to AvenzaMaps.com (the official digital source for New York-New Jersey Trail Conference maps) or AllTrails.com (which is crowdsourced, so be guided accordingly—it offers lots of choices but does not indicate which are the officially designated state, county or local trails).

Roger Dubin is a volunteer trail supervisor for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. Also, a Day Hike Leader and Naturist for the Nature Place Day Camp. Find him on Instagram
@MrNaturalNYC or email him at [email protected].