PearlyBooks

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The Finger Lakes can be a great place to hike with your dog. Within a short drive you can be scaling mountains that leave your dog panting, exploring impossibly scenic gorges that will set tails to wagging or trotting along glacial lakes for hours. I have selected what I consider to be the 50 best places to take your dog for an outing in the Finger Lakes and ranked them according to subjective criteria including the variety of hikes available, opportunities for canine swimming and pleasure of the walks. The rankings include a mix of parks that feature long walks and parks that contain short walks. Did I miss your favorite? Let us know at www.hikewithyourdog.com. I have defined the Finger Lakes roughly to be a saddle-shaped area bordered to the north by the New York State thruway, to the west by I-390/I-86 and to the east by Route 13/I-81. For dog owners it is important to realize that not all parks are open to our best trail companions (see page 14 for a list of parks that do not allow dogs). It is sometimes hard to believe but not everyone loves dogs. We are, in fact, in the minority when compared with our non-dog owning neighbors. So when visiting a park always keep your dog under control and clean up any messes and we can all expect our great parks to remain open to our dogs. And maybe some others will see the light as well. Remember, every time you go out with your dog you are an ambassador for all dog owners. Grab that leash and hit the trail!