Summer is the time to get out there with your dog, and recreational opportunities abound in the Asheville area. Here are just a few possibilities.

Walks and Hikes
One of the best places for a walk is the North Carolina Arboretum, located off Brevard Road (Rt. 191) at the entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Arboretum offers many trails, including the beautiful Natural Garden Trail (0.75 mile), a wide, shaded path that winds its way behind the Arboretum gardens. See the Arboretum website for details. Admission is $6 per car, free on Tuesdays, and free with Arboretum membership. (Photo: Arboretum trail.)

Adjoining the Arboretum is Bent Creek Experimental Forest, where you'll find miles of trails accompanied by creeks and ponds that your dog will love. Bent Creek also connects with Blue Ridge Parkway trails, which are best suited for more serious hiking. There are numerous trails along the Blue Ridge in the Asheville area. Check out the Blue Ridge website for more details.

Playtime
For off-leash play, take your dog to one of two dog parks in Asheville:
Azalea Dog Park is located at the very end of Azalea Park on Azalea Road, along the Swannanoa River in East Asheville, near the Western NC Nature Center. (There are no signs, so keep driving past the soccer fields and you will eventually see it on the left.) This is a new, large fenced park, with a separate area for smaller dogs. Great for throwing balls and frisbees and meeting other dogs. Bring your own water.
The French Broad River Dog Park is located in the French Broad River Park on Amboy Road, not far from Carrier Park (also a nice place to walk) in West Asheville. This park is much smaller than Azalea Park.

Camping
For a unique camping experience designed for dogs (the only one like it in the country), check out Four Paws Kingdom campground in Rutherfordton. Here you'll find fenced shaded dog parks, a swimming pond, trails, agility courses, and more. You can even rent cabins or on-site RVs if you don't have your own RV. Plus, there are special events that make it just as much fun for dog owners, too.

When your relatives or friends come for a visit with their dogs, they can stay someplace other than your house! Two local establishments that cater to dogs are:
Ponder Cove, an upscale bed and breakfast inn that welcomes dogs, located in Mars Hill, just north of Asheville (Photo: Ponder Cove Gardens), and
Barkwell's, luxury cabins with dog amenities, located in Fletcher.

Artist Daryl Slaton's quirky view of pets is portrayed in custom whimsical portraits. Daryl imagines your pet in a fanciful setting that reflects its personality, or the portrait can depict a specific event. Part photo manipulation, part painting, the portraits are giclees. See Daryl's work on display at New Morning Gallery in Biltmore Village. For more information, visit the Tails of Whimsy website.

A great book that lists many local hikes is Best Hikes with Dogs - North Carolina by Karen Chavez, an editor with the Asheville Citizen-Times (The Mountaineers Books, 2007). The book includes trail descriptions, trail maps, helpful tips for hiking with dogs, and more. You can order the book through the Bandanas website.