Sullivan County is one of the hidden gems of New York State
Sullivan County is a rural county located on the New York / Pennsylvania border - it's about 90 minutes from New York City and includes part of the Catskill Park. If you're waiting for a sign to visit this part of the state, here it is! There's no shortage of small town vibes, great food and beer and stunning views. Plus, so much of what there is to see is dog-friendly! This post has my 36 hour itinerary for visiting Sullivan County with your dog! All the lodging, food and activities I share below are dog-friendly!
Disclaimer: I was provided with free lodging and a stipend for food/drinks and activities as part of this collaboration. All views and experiences shared below are my own!
Day 1
It took me about 2.5 hours to make the trek from Albany to the town of Calicoon, where I checked into the super cute Nine River Road, an eight room riverside retreat that is part of the Foster Supply collective. The inn was located just down from Main Street and was situated right on the banks of the Delaware River. The location was absolutely perfect for Willow, with a private run down to the water where she played for most of the afternoon. My room was so cute and had a private bathroom with a clawfoot tub and the comfiest bed I think I've ever slept in. The inn caretaker made sure I had everything I needed for my stay and hooked us up with all the dog amenities we needed including bowls, a bed and locally made dog treats (plus a bag of the best cookies ever for me!)
Once I was settled, Willow and I headed to The Arnold House, another Foster Supply property. This venue has gorgeous views and boasts miles of trails that Willow and I explored before dinner. Like Nine River Road, the inn itself was super cute and so pet friendly. I especially loved checking out the greenhouse (middle photo below) which had a variety of plants and was so aesthetic. After exploring the grounds, we had dinner at The Arnold House Tavern. The patio was dog friendly and I got to enjoy some local brews and a salad made with locally sourced ingredients. It was absolutely perfect for a hot summer night meal!
The Arnold House
The Greenhouse
Nine River Road
Day 2
Our second day started with breakfast at Nine River Road. I took my tray down to the kitchen and loaded up on coffee, waffles, oatmeal and fresh fruit. Every morning there were different options and all of it was delicious. It was the perfect way to kick off the day.
After playing at the river for an hour or so, we headed to Narrowsburg to meet up with the staff from Landers River Trips who offer a host of kayak, rafting, canoeing, tubing and camping adventures in the area. Willow and I had the option of going on a couple of different dog-friendly canoe tours. I ended up choosing an easy 3 hour trip down the Delaware, but I wasn't sure how Willow would do in a canoe. The crew was super understanding and let me paddle around in a gentle spot for a little while to see if Willow would take to the canoe and how she would do. Unfortunately, Willow wasn't too keen on sitting down and because I was by myself, I didn't feel comfortable going for that long in the event we tipped over or something. The Landers team was totally cool with that and I really appreciated their flexibility. I'd love to try the canoe trip again sometime because it looked awesome!
For dinner, we went to the town of Livingston Manor and visited Upward Brewing. Another fantastic location, the property had tons of dog-friendly outdoor space and great views. They even had their own hiking trail to the top of "Beer Mountain" which was such a unique feature. The beer was really good and they have a kitchen so you can also get pub food. It was a beautiful night to be outside and we walked around the grounds and checked out the pond before heading back to the inn.
Day 3
On our last day, we woke up and fueled up with breakfast at Nine River Road before checking out. Then we headed back over to Narrowsburg to hike Tusten Mountain Trail. The trail was just about 3 miles round trip, and was a lolly-pop with an out and back section followed by a loop. There was a beautiful waterfall area near the start of the hike, which made up for the lack of views at the top. The trail was really nice and peaceful though, and I had my first bear sighting on a hike which was a neat experience. The rangers at the parking lot were super friendly and I enjoyed chatting with them once we made our way back down the trail.
After our hike, we headed to our final stop of the trip before heading home - The Laundrette. This was by far my favorite food stop on the trip! The building was super funky and they had a gorgeous patio location overlooking the river. They even had dog bowls set up for Willow when we arrived. They are known for their pizza - I ordered the hot honey pie and it was incredible! I also grabbed another local beer and enjoyed the scenery while we ate. The staff were so friendly and excited to have Willow there - sounds like it is a very popular stop for dog-owners in the summer!
