Focus on Fun: Stratham Hill Park

Where:  Stratham Hill Park, Stratham, NH

Parking in the first field

The Perks:

Stratham Hill Park is a great spot for social dogs.  The majority of dogs are off leash and enjoying the large fields, wooded trails, and swimming spots.

Heading to the second field.

While there are mountain bikers, joggers, and the occasional walking group, this really is a dog spot.  It is called the unofficial dog park of Stratham and definitely lives up to it!  We rarely make the walk without running into other pups to romp around with.

Big, excited dogs.  Yay.

One of the best parts of Stratham Hill is... well... the hill!  I'm definitely huffing and puffing by the time we get to the top, but you can climb the fire tower for some great views of Maine and the water.  Or you can just run around like crazy and chew on sticks.  Your choice.

Needs improvement:

We are frequent fliers at Stratham Hill.  I'm the lady with the dogs that can't shut up (or that's my guess).  In two years, I've only ever seen 2 other pit bulls, and both were in the last month!  Although the majority of people are fine, this is where I tend to get most of my negative experiences concerning Skye.  People don't want her to play with their dogs because of how vocal and scary she is, so I have begun to leash her when we see other dogs to get a sense of the owners first.

Am I less intimidating up here?

Although there are some trail signs, they really aren't overly helpful.  It took me several visits before I had a sense of the trails, but now I know where the long walk vs the short walk is, and won't end up in someone's backyard again...

Yeah, that was hilarious.  Silly human!

All in all:

This is one of my favorite walking spots.  It's close by and I know the dogs will be tired by the end of the hour.  I've been there often enough to know which dogs are good playmates for Parker and Skye, and the fields are great for fetch with Skye.  Plus, this is where Skye first fell in the water learned to swim.  I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Aquatic stick.  Very dangerous.  Approach with caution.

Want to see more Stratham Hill pictures?  Check out our Facebook album!

A few answers:
Benny and Lily:  The pups eat a combo of meat I get at the butcher (chicken backs, livers, meaty bones) and store-bought raw grinds (usually lamb or beef).
Maisie's Mom and Rebelwerewolf:  When I first moved, I actually posted on Craigslist asking about popular dog spots to try out with the pups.  That got me started, but even googling walking trails near your zip code will probably be a good start! (And, of course, keeping up with the blog here, since I have plenty of fun spots to document!)