15 Scenic Summer Drives to Take With Your Dog in Vermont
Picture your dog with its nose out the window, ears flapping in the warm summer breeze, as you wind through some of the most beautiful roads in New England. Vermont in summer is a jaw-dropping mix of rolling green hills, sparkling lakes, covered bridges, and tiny villages that look like postcards.
The best part? Your four-legged co-pilot is welcome on almost every adventure.
Whether you love mountain passes, lakeside roads, or quiet forest byways, Vermont has a perfect drive waiting for both of you. Pack some water, grab the leash, and get ready to explore roads that will make your dog’s tail wag and your heart sing.
1. Scenic Route 100 Byway: Waterbury to West Dover
Called “Vermont’s Main Street,” Route 100 runs nearly the full length of the state through charming towns like Stowe, Waitsfield, and Wilmington. Lush summer foliage, roadside farm stands, and covered bridges make every mile a treat for the eyes.
Stop at Moss Glen Falls near Stowe for a scenic waterfall visit, or let your pup enjoy the water at Warren Falls on the Mad River. Leashed dogs are welcome at Molly Stark State Park in Wilmington for a rewarding fire tower hike.
2. Green Mountain Byway: Waterbury to Cambridge
Winding between mountain ridges from Waterbury to Cambridge, this byway is a playground for outdoor-loving dogs. The 5.3-mile Stowe Recreation Path is paved, flat, and perfect for a leisurely stroll with your leashed pup beside you.
Bingham Falls offers a short, steep hike to a stunning waterfall near Smugglers’ Notch. The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail also stretches through several towns and welcomes leashed dogs for walking, jogging, and cycling on its scenic surface.
3. Lake Champlain Byway: Burlington to the Champlain Islands
Few drives in Vermont beat the 184-mile Lake Champlain Byway for sheer scenery. Rolling past farms, historic towns, and endless lake views, this route through the Champlain Islands feels like a different world entirely.
Niquette Bay State Park in Colchester is considered Vermont’s most dog-friendly state park, featuring a designated pet swim area called Calm Cove. Texaco Beach in Burlington also offers an off-leash swim spot, making this drive a genuine splash for water-loving dogs.
4. Mad River Byway: Waitsfield to Warren
Short but spectacular, the Mad River Byway blends history, local art, and outdoor fun in a compact stretch between Waitsfield and Warren. The historic Warren Store sits right along the route and adds old-fashioned Vermont charm to the journey.
Dogs are loved here and free poop bags are provided at six trailheads along the Mad River Path. Head to the Mad River Valley Dog Park in Warren for off-leash fun, or cool off together at the popular Warren Falls swimming hole.
5. Molly Stark Byway: Bennington to Brattleboro
Named after a Revolutionary War hero’s wife, this 48-mile byway crosses the southern Green Mountains with rugged beauty at every turn. The Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook in Marlboro delivers some of the widest views you’ll find anywhere in southern Vermont.
Molly Stark State Park in Wilmington welcomes leashed dogs on its 1.8-mile loop trail to a fire tower on Mount Olga. Retreat Farm in Brattleboro adds 11 miles of peaceful trails across 500 historic acres for a perfect end-of-drive wander.
6. Shires of Vermont Byway: Bennington to Manchester
Route 7A between Bennington and Manchester is one of Vermont’s most elegant drives. Nestled between the Taconic and Green Mountain ranges, the road rolls past organic farms, traditional architecture, and the kind of scenery that makes you slow down on purpose.
The Bennington Rail Trail is a newer pathway ideal for leashed dogs wanting a smooth, easy walk. The Long Trail also crosses this corridor, offering more ambitious hikers and their pups access to Vermont’s iconic ridge-top footpath through the Green Mountain National Forest.
7. Crossroad of Vermont Byway: Rutland to the Connecticut River
Route 4 cuts east-west across mid-Vermont, packing a lot of variety into 50 miles. The star of the show is Quechee Gorge, a 165-foot canyon carved 13,000 years ago and often called Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon.
Dog-friendly trails run along its rim.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock welcomes leashed dogs on forested trails lined with hemlocks and old stone walls. Chittenden Reservoir is another hidden gem, offering calm trails and swimming opportunities that both you and your dog will love.
8. Northeast Kingdom Byway: St. Johnsbury to Newport
Remote, raw, and ridiculously beautiful, the 51-mile Northeast Kingdom Byway is a bucket-list drive for dog owners. The highlight is Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury, a 150-acre mountaintop farm where leashes are optional and dogs are free to run, swim, and simply be dogs.
Kingdom Trails in Lyndonville offers over 100 miles of multi-use trails welcoming leashed dogs Monday through Thursday. South Beach at Lake Willoughby in Westmore also permits leashed dogs, with dramatic cliffs framing the deep glacial water.
9. Connecticut River Byway: Vermont’s Connecticut River Valley
Vermont’s only official National Byway follows Route 5 along the Connecticut River, with the Green Mountains on one side and New Hampshire’s White Mountains on the other. Fertile floodplains, historic towns, and wide river views make this a wonderfully calm drive.
Dog Mountain in St. Johnsbury anchors the northern end with off-leash joy. Mount Ascutney State Park in Windsor offers leashed trails and even some pet-friendly cabins for an overnight stay, making this byway a great multi-day adventure with your dog.
10. Smugglers’ Notch: Stowe to Jeffersonville
Route 108 through Smugglers’ Notch is not your average mountain road. Narrow, winding, and flanked by giant boulders and towering cliffs, it feels like driving through a secret passage in the Green Mountains.
The road is open only in summer, which makes it feel even more special.
Smugglers’ Notch State Park welcomes leashed dogs on most trails from mid-May through mid-October. The Barnes Camp Boardwalk offers easy, accessible views of the Notch, while Sterling Pond Trail rewards the more adventurous with a gorgeous mountain pond at the top.
11. Appalachian Gap: Route 17 through the Green Mountains
Locally nicknamed “App Gap,” this mountain pass on Route 17 climbs between Stark Mountain and Baby Stark Mountain through Buel’s Gore. The views from the top stretch all the way to Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains on a clear summer day.
The Long Trail crosses directly over the gap, and leashed dogs are welcome on its trails. Molly Stark’s Balcony, a moderate 2.6-mile round-trip hike accessible from the parking lot, rewards the effort with outstanding ridge-top scenery worth every paw-step.
12. Mount Mansfield Auto Toll Road: Stowe
Vermont’s highest peak is surprisingly accessible thanks to the historic Mount Mansfield Auto Toll Road in Stowe. You simply drive up the toll road and arrive near the summit ridge, where clear summer days reveal sweeping views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.
Dogs are welcome on a leash, and summit trails are open for exploring. Pack a picnic and enjoy the cool mountain air together.
The road is open from mid-May through mid-October, weather permitting, so summer timing is just about perfect.
13. Mount Ascutney Parkway: Windsor
Mount Ascutney rises dramatically above the Connecticut River Valley in Windsor, and its 3.7-mile parkway makes the climb feel effortless. The drive takes you up to 2,800 feet, where a short hike of nearly one mile leads to the summit and its wide-open views.
Leashed dogs are welcome throughout Mount Ascutney State Park and in the campground. The Ascutney Trails Association maintains a friendly trail network asking only that owners keep pups leashed and clean up after them.
Some park cabins are even pet-friendly for overnight stays.
14. Route 5A Along Lake Willoughby: Westmore
Lake Willoughby is one of Vermont’s most dramatic landscapes, a deep glacial lake squeezed between the sheer cliffs of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor. Route 5A hugs the steep eastern shore, delivering views that genuinely stop you in your tracks.
Leashed dogs are permitted at South Beach, making a lakeside stop easy and refreshing. Mount Pisgah’s South Trail is considered family and dog-friendly, offering stunning clifftop views.
Haystack Mountain trails nearby are also open to leashed dogs with views toward Long Pond and surrounding peaks.
15. Hazen’s Notch Road: Westfield to Montgomery
Few roads in Vermont feel as genuinely off-the-beaten-path as Hazen’s Notch Road, connecting Westfield to Montgomery in the remote Northeast Kingdom. This corridor follows the route of the historic Hazen Military Road, built back in 1779, adding a sense of quiet history to every mile.
Hazen’s Notch State Park welcomes leashed dogs on its peaceful trails. The Hazen’s Notch Association maintains around 10 miles of walking trails open sunrise to sunset in summer, with destinations like Moosewood Ponds and High Meadow offering serene, crowd-free rewards for adventurous pups.
