Great Places to Walk Your Pup

BY SUSAN MCCORKINDALE

BRENDA WOLFE AND KIMBER, BRISTOW

“Prince William Forest Park has amazing trails and streams for adventurous pups! Locally, the Broad Run Trail is our fave. This photo of Kimber was taken on the Broad Run trail, on the Victory Lakes side. There’s a section that runs through the Braemar neighborhood, as well. It’s our favorite place to hang out!”

Dogs and their humans love a good stroll. It burns off excess energy, is good for the heart, and helps fight weight gain. Luckily for all of you local pup parents, there are several great places in this community to take your dog for a nice, long walk, but we wanted to know: what are your favorite spots? To find out, we posed the question on Facebook’s Western Prince William Chatter. Thanks to those who responded (and sent in photos of their sweet, four-legged family members), and special thanks to Susan Dakin for introducing us – and now you! – to Sniffspot.com.

MEGHAN CROMARTIE AND ALLIE MAE, BRISTOW

“Allie Mae loves the Stonebridge trails and walking the Manassas Battlefield!”

SUSAN DAKIN, BRISTOW

Locations & Information

Prince William Forest Park

18170 Park Entrance Rd, Triangle

Information: Facebook.com/ PrinceWilliamForestPark; nps.gov/prwi/index.htm

Manassas National Battlefield Park

6511 Sudley Rd, Manassas

Information: Facebook. com/ManassasBattlefield; nps.gov/mana

Broad Run Trail

Linton Hall

Informaton: Facebook.com/ BroadRunTrail

Sniffspot

Hosts rent their yards and private land to dog owners. Spots are designed to be safe and both hosts and guests are reviewed after each visit. Only you and your dogs are allowed to enter a spot during the time you've booked it. Find a great spot for your dog and/or become a host!

Information: Sniffspot.com

“There is a website called sniffspot.com where you can rent people's fenced-in yards. There is one in Nokesville that is about 3 acres fenced in. My dogs love it!”

RENEE PUTERBAUGH AND HER GRANDDOG, BELLA, GAINESVILLE

“My granddog Bella loves the dog park at Vint Hill. Whenever she visits, she just can’t wait to go there.”

ADRIANNE WILLIAMS AND BRODIE, NOKESVILLE

“Brodie loves the Battlefields. It’s his favorite place.”

With the weather still chilly and winter coats still hanging by the door, it may seem strange to start thinking about summer camps...but now is the time to plan. Experienced parents know that summer camps fill up fast and early.

The benefits of summer camps for children are undeniable. They expose children to a variety of people, places, and activities which help them gain independence and learn lifelong skills. Camps can also get kids unplugged and physically active, as well as providing a break for parents during the long days of school vacation.

This is also the time of year that parents may contemplate making a change in their children’s education, perhaps changing schools. If you’re thinking of investigating a private school education for the fall, now is the time to start.

That’s why we created this special advertising section for private schools and summer camps to get you started in planning both your child’s summer fun and their education for next year.