It’s summer and it’s so freaking hot out, but you want to take your dog on a biking trip with you. Where to go?
Dogs are a big part in our lives. When Trent and I started to mountain bike together, we had Spicer (he was around 8 years old at that time) and we always took him with us where ever we went.
After Spicer passed, we got Tsali. We started him on hiking/camping since he was a puppy. We actually took him backpacking on the first day that we got him.
When they are out, it is very clear how happy they are being outdoors. We religiously take our dog out whenever we have time. Because we love being outdoors and wanted to share that joy with our dog too. Both Spicer and Tsali are golden retrievers. Since they are dogs with long hair (2 layers of fur), keeping them cool is always a priority.
Below is a list of mountain bike trails that we usually take our dog to on a hot day.
Good mountain Bike Trails for your dogs in summer
All of these trails have great water sources like springs, creeks, or a lake along the trail, which makes it easy for your dog to jump in to stay cool on those hot summer days.
- Bear Creek Trail: Creek Camp Rd, Ellijay GA 30540
Click here to view our mountain biking trip at Bear Creek Trail. - Pinhoti 1 and 2 Trails: Ellijay GA 30540
Pinhoti 1 https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/4739777/pinhoti-1
Pinhoti 2 https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/4740164/pinhoti-2Note: If you and your dog are fit, you can combine Bear Creek, Pinhoti 1, and Pinhoti 2 to a big loop (22.9 miles) and do them all in one day. https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/837843/mulberry-gap-bear-creek-p1-and-p2-loop
Click here to view our mountain biking trip at Pinhoti 1 and 2. - Jackrabbit Trail: 465 Jack Rabbit Rd, Hayesville, NC 28904
- Tsali Recreation Area Mountain Bike Trail: Almond, NC 28702
The trail head is right next to the campground, you won’t miss it. There is a parking lot outside of the campground and it is just in front of the trail head. As you may see, we love this trail so much. We named our dog after it.
- Bull and Jake Mountain Bike Trail: Dahlonega, GA 30533
- Cove Creek Loop Trail: Pisgah Forest, NC 28768
You can park your car at Pisgah Center For Wildlife Edu and start your ride from there.
- Dupont State Park Trail System: Lake Imaging Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28739
This is a large trail system. There are many different trail heads that you can start at. You might not be able to do the whole trail system on a hot day with your dog. (In winter, we can.) On a hot day, we usually park at Lake Imaging Parking Lot, start from the trail head there and do smaller loops. We definitely forget to do Ridgeline Trail because it is so much fun!
In our house, we believe “happy dog, happy (pup) parents!”. Let’s take our dogs outside.
Please feel free to comment below to let us know if you have taken your dog to these trails and want to share what you think about them. We’d love to hear from you!