We live on College Hill and walk dogs here every day. This is the short, practical version of where to go in Easton with a dog, and what the rules actually are.
Karl Stirner Arts Trail
The trail runs along the Bushkill Creek and is probably the best dog walk in the city. Paved, flat, shaded in stretches, and lined with large outdoor sculpture, which makes it a more interesting walk for the human than a standard rail trail.
Dogs are welcome and must be on a leash. There is also a dog park on the trail, with separate penned areas for bigger and smaller dogs.
It is genuinely a walk rather than a hike. If you have a young dog with energy to burn, this will not exhaust them, but it is a good outing for an older dog or a wet afternoon.
Hugh Moore Park
South of the city along the canal, and home to a dog park locally known as Hugh Moore Bark, just over the bridge next to the parking area.
Two things worth knowing before you drive down:
- Dogs stay leashed everywhere outside the dog park, including on the way in and out of it, and you are expected to keep the leash on you.
- The dog park is split by weight. Under 30 pounds goes in the Small Dog Area, over 30 pounds in the Large Dog Area.
The canal towpath itself is a long, flat walk with water alongside it, which is a good combination on a hot day as long as your dog is leashed and you have brought water.
A note on dog parks generally
Dog parks suit some dogs and not others, and it is worth being honest about which one you have.
A confident, socially fluent dog has a great time. A nervous dog, a dog who guards toys, or a dog who has never worked out how to read another dog's signals can have a bad experience quickly, because a dog park is a group of strangers with no shared history and no supervision beyond whoever happens to be standing there.
That is not an argument against them. It is an argument for watching your own dog for the first ten minutes rather than your phone, and leaving early if it is not going well.
Around College Hill
The residential streets up here are quiet, tree-lined and hilly, which makes for a better walk than the flat ground down by the river if your dog needs to actually work. The hill is the reason our yard drains well and the reason a walk up here tires a dog out faster than the same distance along the canal.
What to bring, for any of it
- Water, and something to pour it into. Dogs do not drink well from a bottle.
- Bags, more than you think you need.
- A flat leash rather than a retractable one on the trails. Sculpture, cyclists and blind corners are a bad mix with sixteen feet of loose line.
- In summer, a check of the pavement with the back of your hand before you set off. If you cannot hold it there for five seconds, it is too hot for paws.
When a walk is not enough
Some dogs need to run with other dogs, not walk beside a person. A leashed mile does very little for a two-year-old working breed who has been alone since eight in the morning.
That is what daycare is for, and it is why our yard is half an acre of fenced grass rather than a turf pen. Dogs are out in it most of the day, in small groups, with somebody watching.
If the walks are not touching the sides, come and look at the yard. The tour is free, takes about half an hour, and your dog comes with you.
(484) 714-6624 or the contact page.
Park rules and facilities were checked in September 2026. The city updates them from time to time, so check the City of Easton website before relying on the details.