Dog walking in Marietta

Liverpool

For an afternoon of off-leash fun with your best canine pal, head on over to Wegmans Good Dog Park in Liverpool, NY. Just a thirty-minute drive from Marietta, Wegmans boasts two fenced play areas – one for small dogs and one for larger breeds. There is no fee to use this park, and it’s a great place for dogs to socialize! After your long day together, stop by Limp Lizard’s BBQ and try their famous burgers, soups, salads, Tex Mex, and—of course—barbecue! Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating area. If you’re lucky, one of their live bands might be playing and you and your pup can hear “some of the best live music in Central New York!”

Auburn

If you and your pooch are in the mood for some light exercise, grab your bike and make a quick seventeen-mile drive up to the Auburn-Fleming trail in Auburn, NY. This 1.6-mile path is a former rail line that has been transformed into a bike-accessible, dog-friendly trail! The path runs through farmland and is an easy walk or bike ride for dogs and owners of any fitness level. If you need to get some shopping done after your hike, stop by the PETCO on Clark Street Road to browse their products, visit the grooming salon, or get a puppy photoshoot! Don’t forget to grab a treat from the cashier on your way out: your pup will thank you!

Syracuse

If you and your pooch want something a little less crowded than the off-leash dog park over in Jamesville Beach (or maybe you’re not ready to let go of that leash just yet), be sure to swing by Elmwood Park. Although not exclusively for dogs, this park is dog-friendly—just be sure to keep that leash on! This beautiful sixty-five-acre park is proud of its gorgeous wildflowers, flowing stream, and covered picnic pavilion. After some fun at Elmwood, you and your dog will surely have worked up an appetite! Visit Dinosaur Bar-B-Que before making the half-hour drive back to Marietta. Humans and fur babies alike will be comfortable on the outdoor patio!

Fayetteville

Fayetteville is home to two state parks, but the most popular among the canine crowd is definitely Green Lakes State Park. With doggie bags and clean-up stations available, this gorgeous glacial lakes park is ready for you and your pup at any time. The park offers a golf course, kayak and rowboat rentals, a campsite, a disk golf course, and four separate pavilions over its 1,774 acres and ten miles of trail. Don’t leave Fayetteville after the hike, though: remember to stop by Panera Bread on Towne Drive to refuel before the thirty-mile drive back to Marietta.

East Syracuse

If you want to visit the East side of Syracuse, you and your canine companion can’t pass up a chance to visit Old Erie Canal State Park. This park is supported by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy—a nonprofit organization that works to turn old rail lines into hiking paths. This path is almost 280 miles long, so it runs through several New York counties! After exploring trails with your pup, be sure to make the ten-minute drive over to Blue Tusk. This bar is a beer (and dog) lover’s paradise with comfortable outdoor patio seating and sixty-nine beers on tap every night. After dinner, it’s just a quick thirty minutes back to Marietta!