PET FRIENDLY Hamptons

Tooling down Dune Road with the top down and your best friend in the front seat snarfing in the sea smells, soaking in the sun on a bayside beach in Montauk, or just sitting on a bench in East Hampton people watching, the South Fork of Long Island has tons of fun to offer, in season and off.

First, of course, you’ve got to get there. If you want to avoid fighting the traffic on your lonesome, you and your pet can travel together on the Hampton Jitney, so long as your pet is small enough to fit into a DOT-approved carrier that you can set on your lap for the duration of the trip if the coach fills up (there’s also a $10 fee for your pet).

However you choose to travel, once you get there, the Hamptons have plenty to offer, starting with the many pet-friendly lodgings you’ll find on petswelcome. You’ll also want to check out our guide to the pet-friendly beaches of the Hamptons/South Fork. If you want to enjoy the sea air without the sand, you and your pet can visit the local lighthouses, Montauk Point Lighthouse and Cedar Island Lighthouse in East Hampton. And if you find yourself in the Hamptons in August, be sure to check out the Hampton Classic horse show. Your well-behaved dog is permitted on leash, with some restrictions.

Also, you can use the South Fork as a jumping off point for other adventures. Hop on the Viking Fleet ferry in Montauk and you can be in New London, CT, or Block Island in just one hour; your pet is welcome aboard, though not permitted in the cabins, which means you might want to think twice before taking the ferry to Martha’s Vineyard (a 5-hour tour, as the Gilligan might say).