Doggin' The Carolina Coasts: The 50 Best Places To Hike With Your Dog Along The North Carolina And South Carolina Shores

"This is one of those little guidebooks that's so useful, you're amazed nobody published one before. Entries cover admission fees, directions, "dog friendliness" and fun facts to make the trek more amusing. (Example: Robert Harrill, the Fort Fisher hermit, always had a dog by his side -- usually, several.) Gelbert offers useful tips for the novice hiker (around here, watch out for ticks, copperheads and the occasional alligator), tips for introducing a landlubber dog to the ocean (check with the lifeguards on local water conditions; dogs are easy targets for jellyfish and sea lice), plus an up-to-date rundown on current local regulations. (No dogs on Wrightsville Beach from April till October -- try the nearby Loop instead.) For locals, Doggin' offers some intriguing suggestions of nearby spots to explore: the nature trails at Oakhurst Nature Park, at the end of Riverbend Road up in Jacksonville, N.C., for instance, or Huntington Beach State Park, with nature trails, the Huntington family's replica Moorish castle, Atalaya to explore (with its own kennels), plus the Brookgreen Gardens sculpture park nearby." --Wilmington Star-News - the Voice of Southeastern North Carolina Places where you won't be able to wipe the wag off your dog's tail... Have you ever considered how far you walk with your dog? If you walk just 15 minutes a day you will have walked far enough in your dog's lifetime to cross the United States. With all that walking ahead of you, aren't you ready for a new place to take a hike with your dog? The Carolina coasts can be a great place to hike with your dog. Paw-friendly sand trails, shady maritime forests, some of the most historic grounds in the South, the estates of America s wealthiest families and some of the country s dog-friendliest beaches all beckon to your canine adventurer. DOGGIN' THE CAROLINA COASTS explores the region's top trails with your best friend in mind... Where can your dog hike through a movie set from Forrest Gump? (page 21) Where can your dog hike to mysterious Carolina Bays? (page 69) Where can you hike with your dog to the home of the Fort Fisher Hermit? (page 33) No Dogs! Is there any more dispiriting day for a dog owner than driving to a new park and encountering the dreaded "NO DOGS" sign? DOGGIN' THE CAROLINA COASTS tells you the parks that don't welcome dogs. Also packed inside these 124 pages are... ...rules for dogs on Atlantic Ocean beaches ...Carolina coast campgrounds for dogs ...tips on outfitting your dog for a hike ...tips on practicing low impact hiking with your dog ...and much more What makes a great place to take your dog hiking? Well, how about a paw-friendly surface to trot on? Grass and sandy soil are a lot more appealing than asphalt and rocks. A variety of hikes is always good - long ones for athletic dogs and short ones for the less adventurous canine. Dogs always enjoy a refreshing place to swim as well. For dog-friendly parks our guides describe the trail options for your dog, evaluate park traffic from other users, tell you whether you will need a guide dog to find your way around and, of course, tell you how to get to the park. While walking the dog around the Carolina coasts, we bring along generous helpings of local history, botany, geology, architecture and more. So what are you waiting for? Your dog will want to visit a 4,000-year old shell midden (page 31), hunt for Fulgurites (page 29), hike among insectivorous plants (page 37)...