This article is part of our Road Trip for Good series with the incredible humans behind the popular 2 Traveling Dogs! Each week they will share their adventure in a new state, and their pups, Peanut Butter Brickle and Digby Pancake, will pick their favorite “Marked Territories.” Each state will highlight one special rescue organization that is doing fantastic work to help the dog community. For more detailed coverage, be sure to visit 2TravelingDogs.com!
From one-day trips to weeklong adventures, North Carolina inspires any dog parent to explore! Unforgettable views, history and hikes make a trip to North Carolina road-trip worthy!
This unique park showcases the tallest, natural sand dune system in the Eastern United States. Located in Nags Head, North Carolina, take your dog on a walk that you both will never forget. Bring your leashed dog and walk up the dunes while gazing at kite boarders and sand boarders. Remember that the sand can get hot, so plan accordingly and watch the weather. Bring lots of water and remember to pick up after your dog so that they will always be welcome here.
2. A Day Trip To The Biltmore Estate Grounds
Head to the grounds of the Biltmore Estate located in Asheville, North Carolina. Sometimes you just need a taste of history and beauty and you definitely shouldn’t leave your dog behind! Completed in 1895, George Vanderbilt’s 250-room chateau is as impressive today as it was more than a century ago. Dogs are allowed to explore the beautiful grounds and more than 250 acres of landscaped gardens. Walk around the grounds and gardens and then hike the Deer Park Trail, a 2.4 mile round trip jaunt. Your best friend is also welcome to join you at several restaurants with outdoor seating in Antler Hill Village, and even the winery! Yes, we said winery. Of course, dogs cannot go inside any of the buildings.
3. Take Your Senior Dog On A Joy Ride Along The Blue Ridge Parkway
Just because your dog can’t go on a strenuous hike doesn’t mean you both can’t appreciate the scenery of North Carolina together! Get your best buddy and hit the open road! The Blue Ridge Parkway travels 252 miles along the ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. Make sure to cross the Linn Cove Viaduct, seemingly suspended in midair along the southern face of Grandfather Mountain. Stop at one of the many overlooks for picnic and photo opportunities. Because sometimes a road trip is more about the road.
4. Hike To The Top Of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park
Some of North Carolina’s most breath-taking scenery can be seen from Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. If you want to see the views from the top of Chimney Rock with your dog, eat a big lunch and climb all 499 stairs on Outcroppings Trail. On your way, you will see the Grotto, Subway and Pulpit Rock. From these vantage points on the trail, you can see views of Hickory Nut Gorge, the Carolina Piedmont and Lake Lure. Both you and your dog will feel a real sense of accomplishment together after reaching the top, but don’t forget, you have all those stairs on the way down too. Pack plenty of water, snacks and energy for a view worth the effort! Make sure you know your dog’s health condition and stamina before making the climb.
5. Wright Brother’s National Memorial
Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first successful airplane flight here in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. Your dog may not understand airplanes, but you both can enjoy a stroll through history together at this expansive property with beautiful scenery. Visit the spot where the Wright brothers first took flight and the locations where they landed, then take a hike up to the Monument and enjoy the view with your dog. All dogs must be leashed and are not allowed in any buildings.
6. Gaze Up At Bodie Island Lighthouse At Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Visitors traveling towards Hatteras Island in North Carolina can’t miss this black and white horizontal striped lighthouse. The 156′ ft. lighthouse still shines a beam 19 miles offshore. Take a walk with your dog here on the grounds surrounding the Bodie Lighthouse and enjoy a mixture of marshlands, maritime forest and small saltwater ponds.
7. Brickle and Digby’s Paw-Picked Rescue: Outer Banks SPCA
The Outer Banks SPCA are the proud operators of the Dare County Animal Shelter serving the Outer Banks region of North Carolina. They provide a loving environment and temporary housing for lost, stray, or unwanted domestic animals in Dare County. These are people who work together for the good of this community, its animals and its residents. Volunteers make a difference here in a big way. From taking dogs on walks, to taking them for field trip days, having children read to its residents and even having weekend sleepovers, this shelter proves that communities can come together in creative way to make magic happen. To find your new best friend, visit their website at www.obxspca.org or their Facebook page.
Be sure to check 2 Traveling Dog’s pupcoming schedule to see if Brickle and Digby will be in your neighborhood!
Next stop…Virginia!
