- Hike: Village Loop at Waterville Valley Estates
Waterville Valley Estates has some great trails at the community center. Beside the pond at the community center is a trailhead for the “Village Loop.” The trail was still snow covered in some spots in early April. The short loop takes you through a pine forest and over a small creek. The dogs especially enjoy this hike because they get to start and end with the pond, where they like to go for a dip. The trail is quiet and serene, and perfect for when you don’t have a lot of time for a hike, as was the case Easter Weekend.
2. Hunt: Easter Egg Hunts
We attended two easter egg hunts. The first was at the community center at Waterville Valley Estates. Leashed dogs are allowed on the premises, but be aware that there will be lots of kids around and candy on the ground. The second Easter egg hunt we attended was at a farm called Forage Farm in Thornton. This was the biggest egg hunt we’ve ever been to. There were probably around 200 people that attended the event and 3500 eggs were hidden on this 9 acre farm. The event also provided refreshments and a buffet style potluck meal. Dogs on leash are allowed at the egg hunt. Of note, this event is on a farm where we saw both chickens and sheep, so if your dog has a strong prey drive this may not be an ideal event to take him/her to.
3. Party: Waterville Valley Spring Pond Skim
To my surprise, the pond skim at Waterville Valley allows leashed dogs to attend- and there were a lot of them! This is a really cool event where 75 skiers/snowboarders attempt to ski down the slope and then skim their way across a pond to the other side. The event is complete with food, drinks, and a DJ. You can sip on a beverage on the back deck with your dog, or you can head up the mountain through the snow and watch the pond skim event with your dog! I had not brought Max with me because I didn’t think dogs would be allowed on the mountain but boy was I wrong! I will definitely be bringing him next year.
4. Stay: Campton Cabin
Campton Cabin is an AirBnB/VRBO stay located in the Waterville Valley Estates. This dog-friendly stay features a three bedroom, two bathroom cabin with a large yard space for your dog to explore. It’s location is central to all the Easter weekend events, plus you get the advantage of access to the community center with its sauna, hot tub, indoor pool, and gym. Max loves staying here and since the nights were still cool in early April we were able to use the wood burning stove in the living room where we got cozy on the couch.
