THANKSGIVING DAY DOG HIKE at Rockwood Reservation
Details
Fairly easy and usually pretty clean. About 3.5 miles, allow 3 hrs for this. There are 2 trails, you can quit after the first loop, which is about 2 miles, if you're short on time for the holiday.
Each trail has a sizable hill up, long ridgetop and then back down. Trails are mostly gravel. Some paved. Not a lot of mud. There is a bathroom after the first trail. You will pass it on your way in, stop if necessary.
HIKING BOOTS AND POLES strongly recommended.
BRING WATER FOR YOUR DOG, but there is a creek at beginning, middle and end for dogs to drink.
NO RETRACTABLE LEASHES, max 6' length
No guest dogs. Human guest are welcome.
There is ZERO CELL RECEPTION at the parking lot, so allow time. If you get lost, you won't be able to reach us. We hit the trail at 10:00, with or without you.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS...
Meetup map pin is good. If you use your GPS, be sure it takes you to the right place and the south entrance of the park. Often, GPS units will take you to the wrong entrance. You cannot get into the park from Old Manchester (north) entrance. You must enter from Woods Avenue (south) entrance off 109 near the middle school.
Take Hwy 109 from either Hwy 44 or Manchester/Hwy 100. Woods Avenue is about halfway between. If you're coming from 44, you will turn left on Woods. If you're coming from Manchester, you will turn right.
Park entrance is about 300' off 109 on your right.
Once inside the park, drive to the park admin building, about 1.5 miles up. You will pass the llama farm on left, and then the bathrooms on right. We meet near the beginning of the parking lot on the left, in the grassy area.