Hi, I've visited in the Winter and now in the Summer and had said the Winter is the best time to go but now I think it's Summer. I went last weekend and had an incredible time, thoroughly enjoying the entire experience. To sum it up, in the morning I walked outside to the front porch of the lodge and greeted a brilliantly sunny day and a spectacular view. New England Dog Sledding is set at the Telemark Inn that's on acres of beautiful land and from the front porch I saw beautiful gardens, horses running around their pin, llamas eating hay, organic veggies being grown and tons of hummingbirds. Coming from NYC, this just blew me away. It's as much a sit back and relax or 'hands-on' experience as you want, so I help feed all the critters, which I love doing and have never done before -- I help brush horses, water the 70+ dogs, and got completely intimidated by Snowraven the llama when carrying around hay, not realizing how big llamas are and motivated by hay. After a breakfast of omelets, griddlecakes, bagels (from NYC :), muffins and more, we set out on a hike from the lodge into the White Mountain national forest. We did an 8 mile loop to a rocky lookout point that i've only seen on the covers of hiking books. I got goosebumps looking over the ledge. For miles, we saw the Appalachian mountains and so many trees. The hike was in and out of luminescent green trees and hopping over brooks and just spectacular. After the hike we relaxed w/ lemonade and watched others feed hummingbirds from their hands, the buzzing from their wings is so cool. A fan of critters, we went out on a drive to see Moose (some had never seen one) and twilight is the best time. We got lucky and saw a bunch, including a bull moose eating moss in a lake. The drive is so relaxing over rolling hills and beautiful nature scenery. Back at the Lodge, we had grilled steaks and an amazing dinner, and sat around a big round table w/ great conversation w/ other guests. The vibe, fun, friendliness and relaxed nature of it all I have never found at any other place i've gone. The experience is great for couples like us, and for families w/ kids b/c the grounds have so much to do and there's so much fun w/ the animals and places to go. For high-energy outdoorsey people like myself, the outdoors is right there and you can go hiking, fishing, biking and skiing/snowboarding in the winter. The caretakers and animal lovers Steve and Leo do an amazing job hosting and integrating the animals and land into the experience, leaving me feeling recharged, more knowledgeable and excited to go back. I highly recommend the trip and experience, have fun! read more

I went to the New England Dog Sledding and its Telemark Inn this summer and had one of the most unique and unforgettable vacations I've had domestically. It really is a magic place - miles down a dirt road, tucked away into a nook of the White Mountain National Forest, the Inn dates back to the 1800s and is loaded with beautiful wood & stone walls, furniture, etc. They have an organic garden in back, and the Inn keepers (Steve & his wife Leo) would go back there daily to pick our salads (never has lettuce tasted so fresh!). Me and my 2 kids are animal lovers, so the whole experience was just unreal. They have several horses, llamas for the kids to feed and pet, and plenty of dogs to take you sledding in the winter. We signed up for the horse carriage rides and got a 1 hour ride through the Maine back woods. Just wonderful! To be clear, if you need high end luxuries to enjoy your vacation you probably want to look elsewhere -- the Telemark Inn is quiet, quaint and extremely cozy, but high tech it is not. They have wireless internet throughout the house, but there are no TVs or cable (this might have been my favorite part of the whole place!). If you're looking for a real vacation, a place to connect with your kids without video games and texting all day, you'd be hardpressed to find a better spot. We did several hikes, and some ended in remote swimming holes that looked like something out of "Lord Of the Rings". This place - and its help - are really unlike anywhere else in New England. Bring your swim trunks and hiking boots! read more

Steve and Leo Rock!!!! These two people made an instant connection to my children, and then they gave them an experience with their animals that will never be forgotten. We made some friends, and we plan to keep them. We spent an incredible day with Steve and Leo in a very personal way. They greeted us as soon as we drove in, and from that point, it was all about us. We have 2 three year olds and an eight year old. Steve and Leo zeroed into our family and gave our kids a wonderful adventure. We met LLamas and took them on a tour. Gabriiel will never forget that he rode on the back of this gentle creature. He cannot stop talking about this. Next, we met the dogs. There are a lot of them. Steve and Leo take care of these dogs like thieir children. These dogs are loved. They are Happy, and they are energetic. We put a boy on the front of a sled, and one on the back, and offf we went. Smiles were all over the place. And then, we rode the Horses. This sealed the deal for the kids. My oldest was struggling with his ADHD for days. Steve and Leo are keyed into this and they knew exactly how to make it better. They did, and made this day the highlight of our week. Trust these People. They will show you something cool. read more

Being from Texas, my family of five wanted to explore everything "snow" during our recent Spring Break trip to New Hampshire. Knowing that skiing was not shared as a favorite activity by all, we agreed to add dog sledding on our list. Tired of being added to the long wait lists of the local dog sledding companies near Bretton Woods, we decided to venture farther north to book our experience with Steve Crone of New England Dog Sledding. Steve and his assistant Zack delivered on all their promises. It was a memorable and exhilarating ride through about 15 miles of scenic trails on White Mountain. We had the opportunity to play musher-in-training and interact with the Alaskan Huskies who are well-taken care of and visibly excited about their run. The best surprise is getting to know Steve and his commitment to the well-being of the dogs and the environment. Steve's stories of characters he has met and adventures he has undertaken made the experience unique and undoubtedly worthwhile. read more

We had so much fun staying at Leo and Steve's lodge. The kids loved the dogs, llamas and horses. And joining Steve in running the sled dogs was a wonderful experience that we will hardly forget. The location at the end of a private road is perfect. It is close enough to Bethel to buy everything you may need, but still far away so you can feel you are having a real outdoors experience. This is particularly true when you spend part of the night by a campfire, inside of their amazing tipi! The food was great. We particularly enjoyed the delicious veggies coming fresh from their garden to the table. Leo and Steve where extremely nice and patient with our kids. They were very welcoming and made us feel at home in their lodge. We look forward to come back soon! read more

Dogsledding with New England Dog Sledding has been an amazing addition to our lives. I organized the first trip as a surprise for my boyfriend over the holidays last year, and it was such a success and beautiful in so many ways that we ended up scheduling another trip that season (even with a 7 hour ride to get there). This year we are scheduled for another trip with a group of friends and family this coming February - can't wait. The lodge is intentionally simple and quite rustic (you can stay in Bethel if you want something fancier/luxurious), but that adds to the experience and beauty of simply being out in the Maine countryside being led on a trip by the dogs. As I have told many people since our first experience, put this on your bucket list..... read more

As a person responsible for programming therapeutic adventure based activities for at risk youth I have found few opportunities that hold the value of what we experience at New England Dog Sledding. Steve and Leo have an amazingly well trained group of huskies that have provided our students a unique way to practice so many important life skills. We have been there over a dozen times and each time we leave with a greater sense of connection to the power of the paws. Steve and Leo are extremely hospitable and professional as they treat each student as an individual, meeting them where they are and setting the stage to help them reach their potential. read more

Winter 2014-2015, we were group of 9 adults 8 children ranging between 6 and 16 and a 1 year old baby. Steve, his team and his dogs were very accommodating to our needs and group. They had a fire going while some of us waited for the other to do some dog sledding. The dogs were lovely and the whole experience was unique and once in a lifetime. Even the 1 year old had the chance to go on a sled with the parents while enjoying a nice nap in the woods. I would greatly recommend it and look forward to repeat as soon as possible. read more