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Dog-Friendly Hikes near Norwich

The directory currently contains 13 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Norwich. Their average mapped distance is 2.5 km and average recorded ascent is 39 m (128 ft); the longest route in the set is 11.3 km.

This subset represents 9% of the 152 quality-checked routes near Norwich. Its average distance is 2.5 km, compared with 3.8 km across the full local set.

These routes either have dogs marked as allowed or meet the directory’s dog-score threshold. Current land-manager rules take precedence. Within this set, 10 routes (77%) are rated easy, 0 (0%) are rated hard or expert, and 2 (15%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

0.6 km

Woodland Road Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Bird Loop Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Salmon River Trail Comstock Covered Bridge from state forest parking lot side.
Moderate

Salmon River Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
136 m
Typical duration
1 hr 45 min
  • River
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bird Loop Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Typical duration
16 min
  • Lake
  • Wildlife watching
Easy

Bobcat Woods Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Woodland Road Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
7 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Woods Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.5 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
10 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Day Brook Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
18 m
Typical duration
12 min
  • River
Easy

Fenton River Trai

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
James Goodwin State Forest: Pine Acres Lake Observation Deck at Boat Launch.
Easy

Forest Discovery Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
6 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

River Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Typical duration
8 min
  • River
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Lunch Rock Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
8 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

North Woods Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
24 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Cockaponset Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
11.3 km
/ 7.0 mi
Elevation gain
203 m
Typical duration
2 hr 39 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Friedman Forest Trail

Connecticut · United States

Distance
2.6 km
/ 1.6 mi
Elevation gain
57 m
Typical duration
37 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Salmon River TrailConnecticut7.5 km136 m1 hr 45 minModerateApril to October
Bird Loop TrailConnecticut1.3 km0 m16 minEasyApril to October
Bobcat Woods TrailConnecticut1.9 km18 m26 minEasyApril to October
Woodland Road TrailConnecticut0.6 km0 m7 minEasyApril to October
Woods TrailConnecticut1.5 km10 m20 minEasyApril to October
Day Brook TrailConnecticut0.8 km18 m12 minEasyApril to October
Fenton River TraiConnecticut2.3 km28 m32 minEasyApril to October
Forest Discovery TrailConnecticut0.7 km6 m9 minEasyApril to October
River TrailConnecticut0.7 km0 m8 minEasyApril to October
Lunch Rock TrailConnecticut0.5 km13 m8 minEasyApril to October

Salmon River Trail, Woodland Road Trail, Bobcat Woods Trail currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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