Come explore George Washington's Mount Vernon with us! Mount Vernon is very dog friendly and is really a beautiful place to visit. I've been thinking about this for a while but wanted to wait until the off season -if there really is one here- so we won't encounter quite as many crowds. This isn't technically a hike, but we will take some side trips along the two trails found on Mount Vernon grounds, so it still qualifies. ;o) We'll tour gardens and enjoy some very pretty scenery.

Later in the Spring, we'll return to the area for a hike along a portion of the Mount Vernon Trail, which parallels the Potomac River.

Read more about Mount Vernon here: http://www.mountverno...

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Just to clarify the Fee info mentioned below. The group rate would save us money rather than cost more. It would be $13/person vs. $15/person as individuals. The guided tour typically includes time in the mansion and other buildings (gallery, theater, etc...), but obviously with the dogs we would skip that part and just do the outside portions. They do customize the tour for groups as requested. Guided tours get special parking/entrance location through the 'back door' so to speak and the guide would know a lot more about the grounds and tidbits about George Washington's life than we'll find out on our own via a self-guided tour. A guide expert is $5 per person with a minimum of 20 people.

I'm happy to lead us on a self-guided tour, or if the interest is there, we'll go for the group rate and get a guide. What it boils down to, is it's only $3 more for a guided tour, but we have to come up with 20 committed members for that option.
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Trail Type: N/A
Distance: N/A
Difficulty: Easy/Beginner (see our Trail Rating System for more details)
Facilities: Toilets, phones, cafeteria
Restrictions: This is a leashed hike, dogs are permitted anywhere outdoors, but not allowed in buildings
What to Expect: Strollers, bicycles, and other 'touristy' type visitors, mix of paved and gravel surfaces
What to Bring: Appropriate clothing for expected weather and comfy footwear, poo bags, plenty of water for you and your dog, a snack or a few bucks to spend at the concession stand, and a camera!!
Weather: Will cancel for rain or snow, click here for forecast
Fees: The admission fee is $15 for adults, if we can get 20 or more people committed, then we can get a group rate of $13 per person

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Directions:
For customized driving directions, click on the icon in the center of the map and select To Here to enter your starting location.
http://maps.google.co....[masked]e787ec6ce8e&ll=38.71114,-77.086751&spn=0.006974,0.016522&t=h&z=17

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Photo by: Nick Salmond