Updated: Jan. 8, 2023
I have always wanted to take my dog on vacation with me and finally got the opportunity to do so in September of 2020 for a long weekend trip. I spent a lot of time researching different activities that I could do with my dog. Most places that I looked at had dog friendly activities that were either hiking or bringing your dog to the dog park. I wanted to find activities that we could do together and maybe learn some history along the way. I never realized how difficult it is to find activities to do with your dog. Maybe this is something you have run into as well while searching for a trip to take with your dog. I am including our itinerary to hopefully give you some ideas of things you can do with your dog and still have a nice vacation together.
I decided to take her to Hudson Valley, New York. The drive was not too long from where we live and there were quite a few things that we were able to do together that weren’t strictly hiking or dog parks. I also did not want to travel too far since it would be our first trip and I did not know how she would be in the car. I planned a few activities for each day that were of little or no cost, since I was not sure how she would like being at each location or if we would have to leave.
DAY 1
The first stop on our journey was the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook, New York. This was the home of our eighth president and tours are offered daily. At the time of our visit, you were not allowed to go into the home. Instead, park rangers gave talks on the grounds. This was very fortunate, as I was able to bring my dog with me to the talk. As of this writing, they are continuing to offer these outdoor talks at 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 2:30 PM, and the topics vary with each time. I highly recommend staying for at least one talk, as it was very informative.
The tours given of the home do not allow dogs unless they are service dogs. If you decide the talks aren’t for you, dogs are still allowed on the property, and it is a nice place to go for a walk with your dog. There are markings throughout the property that give a little bit of history about Martin Van Buren and his home along the way.
Martin Van Buren National Historic Site
1013 Old Post Rd.
Kinderhook, NY 12106.
Open seasonally and in the summer, it is open everyday from 7 AM to sunset. Tours of the home are offered seven days a week 10 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM. Ranger talks at 9:30 AM, 11:30 AM, and 2:30 PM. All talks and tours of the house are free.
Our next stop was Hudson, New York. We just walked up and down Warren Street. Parking is along the street, and dogs are welcome. I downloaded the GeoTourist app before we arrived and listened to stories about some of the landmarks throughout our walk. We parked by Seventh Street and walked approximately eight blocks to Promenade Hill Park and then back to the car. We walked for a little over an hour, and did not stop in any stores, but enjoyed our leisurely walk with a brief stopover at the local farmer’s market.
The last stop for the day was Olana State Historic Site. This was the home of painter Frederic Church. Dogs are allowed on the property and they offer an outdoor Landscape and Architecture tour, which we took. Dogs are allowed on the tour. This is a 30 minute tour of the grounds and is offered Tuesday through Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM and, at the time of this writing, costs $12.
5720 State Route 9G
Hudson, NY 12534
Open every day 8AM to Sunset
DAY 2
First stop for the day was Staatsburgh State Historic Site, located in Staatsburg, NY. This was the home of financier and philanthropist Ogden Mills. This site offers free outdoor tours, reservations required, which you can reserve on Eventbrite through their website. There are a variety of outdoor tours and programs available that are offered Thursday through Sunday. I took the landscape tour and my dog was welcome to join me. This tour lasted one and a half hours and included a nice walk along the grounds around Mills Mansion.
Staatsburgh State Historic Site
73 Mills Mansion Drive, Road #1
Staatsburg, NY 12580.
Our next stop was The Walkway Over The Hudson. According to the walkway website, this is “the world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge“ and is located in Poughkeepsie and Highland, New York. This walkway is 1.28 miles in length from one side to the other, is 212 feet above the Hudson River, and offers beautiful views.
I chose to go on the Poughkeepsie side. To walk over the bridge is free, but you do have to pay for parking if you use the NYS Parks lot, which costs $5. If you happen to have the NYS Empire pass, you will not need to pay for parking. When we went, I ended up parking in a lot in front of the NYS Parks lot, which happened to be free of charge at the time.
Being that we had already walked an hour and a half for our tour earlier in the day, we only walked halfway. Be aware that there are a lot of people and many dogs that walk on this bridge, so if your dog is not good around people or other dogs, it may be best to skip this.
61 Parker Ave.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
87 Haviland Rd.
Highland, NY 12528
Open 7 AM to sunset every day.
Our last stop for the day was Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill in Rhinebeck, New York. I had read that this park provided great views at the top of the hill. While walking up the hill my dog miss-stepped and hurt her paw. Unfortunately, we were unable to walk the rest of the way up the hill. This was a very steep hill, which I did not realize at the time, and may have been a little too much for my dog considering all the walking we had done that day. The views from where we got to that day were beautiful, and I do recommend checking it out if you get the chance. On the plus side, after a bit of rest my dog and her paw were just fine.
Drayton Grant Park at Burger Hill
3137 New York 9G
Rhinebeck, NY 12572
DAY 3
For our final day I decided to take it easy due to doing too much with my dog the day before. It rained in the morning so we took our time getting out the door, letting my dog rest some more. Our first stop was Wright’s Farm in Gardiner, NY. We did not go to the orchard, although dogs are allowed. Instead, we perused their shop, yes dogs are allowed, and bought some apple cider donuts.
669 State Rt. 208
Gardiner, NY 12525
The market is open year round 8AM-6PM
We then went across the street to another farm called Tantillo’s Farm Market. Dogs were also allowed into their shop and of course, I bought more apple cider donuts. They offer ice cream as well, including one for your dog that includes a dog treat on top.
730 State Rt. 208
Gardiner, NY 12525
Next, we went to the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site, located in Hyde Park, New York. While there, we just walked the grounds and took some photos. At the time, park rangers were offering outdoor programs, but unfortunately we were not there at the times they were given. According to their website, it appears they are no longer offering these outdoor talks now that the mansion is open for tours. Dogs are allowed on the grounds, which are open every day from 8 AM to 7 PM in the summer.
Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site
119 Vanderbilt Park Rd.
Hyde Park, NY 12538.
Lastly, we went to the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site, also located in Hyde Park, New York. They did not have any outdoor programs available, so again, we just walked around the grounds. Dogs are allowed on the grounds and the rose garden, which is open every day from 8 AM to 7 PM.
Home of Franklin D Roosevelt National Historic Site
114 Estates Lane
Hyde Park, NY 12538
HOTEL
Our home-base for this weekend trip with our dog was the Hyatt Place in Poughkeepsie, New York. This hotel was centrally located to all the activities I had planned. They are pet friendly and in fact, there were a lot of dogs there with us. Dogs were allowed in the lobby and also in the dining area, where I ate the included breakfast. They have a dog walk area in the back with bags provided to pick up after your dog. This hotel is very clean despite there being so many dogs. The staff was also very friendly. They are also reasonable with their dog fees, charging a flat amount depending on the number of days you stay.
2165 South Rd.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Overall this was a great first vacation with my dog. I learned it is best not to plan too many activities for each day. It is better to just take it easy and see where the day takes you. I hope this article provided you with some ideas for a weekend trip with your dog to Hudson Valley, NY. It is nice to know that there are some places where the two of you can enjoy time together without it always having to be a hike or going to a dog park.
Please check out our other posts on Health, Indoor, Outdoor, and Travel accessories for your dog, as well as Reviews of various products and travel destinations.