If I gave my dog free rein to design the ideal vacation destination, I’d be rich because she could do things like that.
Jokes aside though, she’d likely come up with something like Dog Mountain in Vermont. This is a haven for dogs, their humans, and anyone who needs a mood lift by watching dogs frolic without limits.
Let’s get into why this slice of New England is so special, its history, and how to make a trip there happen with your pooch.
Quick Tips for Your Vermont Visit
Your Flight: To get to Dog Mountain, you can fly into Morrisville–Stowe State Airport. Another option with more options and likely budget-friendlier fares is Burlington International Airport. Burlington is about a 45-minute drive from Stowe.
Use Skyscanner to watch flights for budget-friendly options. Love deals? Subscribe to Going.
Your Accommodations: We visited Dog Mountain on a day trip from nearby Lyndon. Browse Booking.com or Hotels.com for your options nearby. Vrbo is my Airbnb alternative.
Your Ride: You’ll need a car to get to Dog Mountain. Book a rental car ahead of time.
Top Spots: You’re here for Dog Mountain! Start at the Dog Chapel, hit the trails around the mountain, and pop by the Stephen Huneck Gallery.
Disclosure: Travel on the Reg uses affiliate links to keep things running around here. At no additional cost to you, I earn a lil’ commission if you make a purchase. Any income earned supports the upkeep of this site. I appreciate you!
About Dog Mountain & Stephen Huneck
It’s impossible to talk about Vermont’s Dog Mountain without talking about Stephen Huneck. Huneck was a children’s book author and folk artist known for the wood carvings of dogs that came later in his life.
The carvings weren’t just something he enjoyed doing. He had an intense connection with dogs and credited the loyal beasts with helping to bring him out of a coma after an accident in his studio.
On top of those carvings, that near-death experience led to Huneck’s creation of the Dog Chapel, a project that took him three years to complete.
Built in the style of a 1820s-style Vermont village church, it fits the landscape seamlessly, especially if you’re lucky enough to visit in the fall.
The chapel became an unexpected destination for dog lovers looking for a place that represented how they felt about their own pets. It connects them to pets both in the present day and for pups they’d lost over the years.
This led to Huneck’s final project, an endeavor he took on with his wife, Gwen. The pair turned their mountain art retreat into a place for dogs and their human companions.
They hosted an annual Dog Party that spread the word about the magic of this place even further. Along the way, visitors marveled at Huneck’s art and supported the growing doggie playland with sales from that artwork.
The fun continued until 2010.
Stephen Huneck died by suicide in 2010 following a long battle with depression. He was just 61 years old. His wife struggled to maintain the property and died by suicide as well just three years later.
That tragedy shouldn’t be the legacy of this special place, though. For a while, it continued to operate with the help of Gwen’s brother, Jonathan Ide.
In 2015, it was awarded nonprofit status under the Friends of Dog Mountain (FODM), a group that has worked diligently over the years to continue raising funds. They’ve been able to keep the property open and maintain its 150 acres.
The group hopes to create more art opportunities on the site, as art was always Huneck’s second passion, but the focus remains the same.
Dog Mountain will always be a place for dogs to roam freely and for visitors to celebrate the special bond between (wo)man and dog.
How to Get to Dog Mountain
To get to Dog Mountain, you’ll need to get to St. Johnsbury first. That’s a small town in the part of the state known as the Northeast Kingdom.
St. Johnsbury is known for a rich tradition in art, nature, and a combination of both. It’s also known for Dog Mountain.
It’s scenic as heck out in these parts, so just be warned of how aggressively you’ll fall in love with Vermont if you go, especially if you’re there in the fall.
We visited Dog Mountain on a day trip from our base in Lyndon, another small town about 20 minutes north of St. Johnsbury. It all sounds quite off-the-beaten-path because it is.
We were at the start of our nomadic journey just after the pandemic, so we were trying to visit places that were new to us. Bonus points were awarded if they didn’t boast a huge population.
You may not be so lucky. Here are a few more drive times from other popular Vermont destinations nearby so that you can better plan your trip:
- Burlington: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Woodstock: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Stowe: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Waterbury: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Montpelier: 1 hour
READ MORE: Staying in Stowe? Check out my guide to the perfect day in the Vermont town.
When to Visit Dog Mountain
Dog Mountain is open all year, but I do have a strong recommendation for you as far as the best time to visit.
Vermont is legendary when it comes to its fall colors, so if you’re able, I’d highly suggest a trip out to St. Johnsbury and Dog Mountain in the autumn months.
Late September into early October would be ideal for the peep show. We visited the first week in October and the colors were poppin’. If you visit in the winter, be prepared for snow with all of your winter gear.
Things to Do at Dog Mountain
Everything at Dog Mountain is dog-friendly, so you can bring your pup along for anything I mention here.
If they’re good off-leash, you can also let them roam around freely everywhere except the gift shop. They’re still allowed in there, but they should be on a leash.
Obviously, if your dog doesn’t do well with a bunch of dogs around, this isn’t the place for you.
Hit the trails.
You have 150 acres to explore on Dog Mountain. The grounds are open from dawn to dusk daily for you to do just that.
We just roamed around the hiking trails without much of a plan and found all kinds of little nooks to investigate, including large totems and rest spots along the mountain top. Dog Mountain has maps that offer color-coded trails for you to plan better than that.
READ MORE: Love dog-friendly hikes? Acadia National Park has some great options.
Take your pup for a swim.
Our pup only swims in dire emergencies, but if yours is a water-lover, they can take a dip in the swimming hole on the grounds with other like-minded pups.
We didn’t see any dogs (or their people) swimming on our visit, but it was also a brisk autumn day. I imagine it’s a popular way for dogs to cool off in the hot summer months.
Test your dog’s agility.
If your dog is a smart cookie who needs more to do rather than run without abandon, a small agility course on the grounds can allow them to show off a bit.
To get there, you’ll just head west from the main gallery building to an open field. The obstacles are just south of the Angel Dog Overlook if you’re looking at the map of Dog Mountain.
Celebrate the spirit of dogs at the Dog Chapel.
The Dog Chapel was built in 2000, opening its doors on Memorial Day of that year.
I already mentioned a little bit about this special place, but let’s get into the details of this celebration of dogs. Remember that it took Huneck three years to build this place.
Pay attention to everything around you as you walk through, like the doggie door, the wooden dogs standing at attention, and the stained glass windows featuring dogs.
This is also a place where dog owners come to grieve in private and feel some sense of belonging from others who have been through the loss of a pet.
You’ll see photos and notes from previous visitors mourning their pets. I’m not crying, you’re crying. OK, fine. I’m probably crying.
Visit the Stephen Huneck Gallery.
The chapel gallery is dedicated to visitors and their memories, but the Stephen Huneck Gallery is dedicated to Huneck’s love for dogs combined with his passion for art.
Whether you’re here to add to your collection at home or not, the dog art studio is worth a visit to check out some very unique, at times hilarious items.
You’ll notice quite a few children’s books, too. Huneck was the author behind the best-selling Sally series. Sally does all kinds of things, like get a job, go to the mountains, and eventually, go to heaven. Bring out those tissues again.
Fun fact: Sally was Huneck’s beloved black lab on top of her starring roles in his book series.
Attend a Dog Party.
Dog Mountain has continued the Hunecks’ tradition of hosting Dog Parties several times a year to allow local and visiting dog lovers to gather and play.
They typically plan a big event in the summer and then again in the fall, but check out their events calendar for more details in case your visit is during a Dog Party.
Events are usually free, but this entire place is only available to us thanks to the generosity of strangers.
Note: If you attend, bring some cash for raffle tickets, sweat treats, food truck eats, and other fun things so you can send a little goodness their way.
Listen to some live music.
Summer at Dog Mountain is a non-stop party. In addition to a summertime Dog Party, Dog Mountain is also home to the Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Music Series, a months-long event with a diverse array of entertainers.
The event comes to the dog park courtesy of Catamount Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the arts in both Vermont and New Hampshire.
Note: Events are obviously dog-friendly. Just make sure our pup enjoys loud live music before you arrive. Ours most certainly does not!
Take in some leaf-peeping.
If you’re planning a visit to Dog Mountain, you’re already in Vermont, one of the best states to watch the leaves change in the fall. We planned our visit perfectly, visiting on a warm, sunny October day.
Watching your pup frolic with those vivid colors in the background is a pretty thing, but it’s still special even if you don’t have a dog to bring with you. Dog Mountain and the surrounding region are great places to take in all of those fall vibes.
Support Dog Mountain.
One of the best ways to make sure that other dog lovers just like yourself are able to visit Dog Mountain for years to come is if you support Dog Mountain.
It can be as simple as spreading the word about this magical place. Monetarily, support this place by picking up some Stephen Huneck art, large dog prints, or dog illustrations in the gift shop, or offering a bit more than the suggested donation.
Fun fact: Visiting Dog Mountain is free, but they do suggest a donation of $5 per person on each visit. It’s a tiny price to pay to see your pup at its happiest.
Hotels Near Dog Mountain
We visited on a day trip from nearby Lyndon, but you have a variety of hotels and other accommodations at your disposal for an overnight in and around St. Johnsbury.
Use the map below to browse your options:
It doesn’t get more dog-friendly than Dog Mountain.
I can’t say enough about how meaningful a visit here is if you’re a dog owner or an animal lover. Heck, I’d come here without Kimmy just to feel the gravity of emotion in that chapel alone.
If you’re traveling to New England with your dog, especially in the fall, a visit to Dog Mountain is a no-brainer.
Planning a trip to New England? Check out these guides:
- A Chicago Girl’s Guide to New Haven Pizza
- Ideal Day Trips From Boston, Massachusetts
- Fun, Delicious Things to Do in New Haven
- Popular Weekend Getaways From Boston
- A Guide to the Best of Portsmouth, NH
Read more about my favorite dog-friendly destinations:
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