You can walk your dog across the New Forest's heath and woods all year, and plenty of pubs let them in, like the Waterloo Arms in Lyndhurst. Keep them away from the ponies and cattle, on a lead in car parks and beside roads, and on the main tracks across the heath from March to August. Hotels usually charge for a dog by the night.
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Where to stay in the New Forest with a dog
8 hotels, inns and B&Bs and 9 cottages and holiday lets that take dogs, each with its dog charge and limits.
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Where to stay
Our picks: the places most welcoming to dogs.
Hotel · Lyndhurst
Forest Lodge
Dog charge: £15 per night (per room, for up to two dogs)
A Georgian house on Pikes Hill at the edge of Lyndhurst. You can sit with your dog in the lounge and bar, and the Waterloo Arms is on the same lane.
Hotel · Beaulieu Road
Beaulieu Hotel and The Drift Inn
Dog charge: £15 per night (per room, for up to two dogs)
A hotel out on the open heath on the Beaulieu road, with ponies and donkeys grazing round it. You can eat with your dog in The Drift Inn next door, and borrow a stick from the stick library on the way out.
Hotel · Cadnam
Bartley Lodge
Dog charge: £15 per night (per room, for up to two dogs)
A country house hotel in its own grounds near Cadnam, on the northern edge of the forest. Your dog can join you in the lounge and bar.
The New Forest with a dog
The New Forest is a National Park of open heath, old woodland and grassy lawns where ponies, donkeys and cattle wander free, even along the village streets. Lyndhurst sits in the middle, Brockenhurst has the main railway station, Burley is on the western side, and Beaulieu and Lymington lie to the south towards the Solent.
Most walks start from one of Forestry England's car parks, and you'll need to pay to park in them. On the heath, keep your dog on the main tracks in spring and summer, and give the grazing animals plenty of room.
Pubs and cafes
- The Drift Inn
Dogs welcome inside
- Monty's Inn
Dogs welcome inside
- The Waterloo Arms
Dogs welcome inside
- The Oak Inn
Dogs welcome inside
Dog walks
Tall Trees Trail, Blackwater · 1.4 miles
A level, gravelled loop from Blackwater car park beside the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, past Douglas firs planted in the 1850s and two giant redwoods. The car park has toilets and picnic tables. Keep your dog on a lead where the trail crosses the road.
Brockenhurst Village · 5 miles
A circular walk from Brockenhurst station across the grazed lawns, through the woods along Ober Water and round the edge of the village with views over the heath. It's easy, with a few gentle slopes, but the woodland tracks can be muddy. Ponies and donkeys often wander through the village, so keep your dog close.
Burley Village · 4.2 miles
A loop from the village square up Castle Hill Lane to the old hill fort on Castle Hill, with views across the Avon valley, then back along the edge of the open forest. Mostly level, with one long, gentle climb and three road crossings.
Lyndhurst Village and Bolton's Bench · 1 mile
A short stroll from the main car park along the High Street to the church and out onto Bolton's Bench, the yew-topped hill on the edge of the village. Ponies graze there, so keep your dog away from them and don't eat near them.
The journey
Getting to the New Forest with a dog
The nearest station is Brockenhurst.
You can take up to two dogs free on National Rail trains. Keep them on a lead or in a carrier on the train and at stations, and off the seats.
Brockenhurst station is in the middle of the forest, a short walk from the village, and the National Park's Brockenhurst Village walk starts from it.
Driving in, you'll pay to park at all of Forestry England's car parks in the forest. Card machines are at 16 of the busiest, including Bolderwood, Bolton's Bench, Burley and Wilverley Inclosure; elsewhere you pay by phone or app. The car parks close from 11pm to 4am. Keep your dog on a lead in car parks.
Map of dog-friendly places in the New Forest
S = stay, B = beach, P = pub or cafe, W = walk start. Hover over or tap a pin to see its card.
Show as a list
Stays
Pubs and cafes
- The Drift Inn: Dogs welcome inside
- Monty's Inn: Dogs welcome inside
- The Waterloo Arms: Dogs welcome inside
- The Oak Inn: Dogs welcome inside
- The Trusty Servant Inn: Dogs welcome inside
- The Royal Oak: Dogs welcome inside
- The Walhampton Arms: Dogs welcome inside
- The Woodside Inn: Dogs welcome inside
- Woods Bikes and Brews Cafe: Dogs welcome inside
- Hockeys Farmyard Cafe: Dogs welcome inside
- Steff's Kitchen: Dogs outside only
- Exbury Gardens visitor restaurant: Dogs welcome inside
Quick answers about the New Forest with a dog
- Is the New Forest dog friendly?
- Yes. You can walk your dog across the open heath and woodland all year, take them on the train to Brockenhurst for free, and eat with them in pubs such as the Waterloo Arms in Lyndhurst and Monty's Inn in Beaulieu. Keep them close around the ponies, cattle and deer.
- Do dogs have to be on a lead in the New Forest?
- Not everywhere. The New Forest Dog Walking Code asks you to keep your dog under effective control, and on a lead if you can't call them back reliably. Keep them on a lead in car parks and beside roads, keep them to the main tracks across the heath from March to August when birds nest on the ground, and put them on a lead if another dog on a lead comes towards you.
- What should I do if cattle or ponies come towards my dog?
- Keep your distance from grazing animals, especially mothers with young. If cattle or ponies threaten or chase you, let your dog off the lead so you can both get to safety separately. Never let your dog chase livestock, deer or other wildlife.
- Do you have to pay to park in the New Forest?
- Yes, at Forestry England's car parks in the forest. You pay by card at the machines in the busiest car parks or by phone or app, and the car parks are closed from 11pm to 4am.