Exmoor National Park extends for over 270 square miles and is a wonderful place for taking a dog on holiday. The breathtaking scenery is diverse and the unique mixture of dramatic coastline (the Park boasts England's highest sea cliffs), open moorland, undulating wooded hills and valleys and meandering river banks provide ideal locations for exploring on foot.

There are two long distance walking routes - The South West Coast Path which starts at Minehead and The Two Moors Way - which cross the Park and, for the less adventurous, over 700 miles of footpaths and 400 miles of bridleways are waymarked and there to enjoy.

In 2005, a new walk - The Coleridge Way - has been opened and this footpath links Exmoor National Park and The Quantock Hills.

The highest point on Exmoor - Dunkery Beacon at 519 metres - is well worth visiting on foot, as it boasts uninterrupted views of South Wales, the Brecon Beacons, the Bristol Channel, the Quantocks and Dartmoor National Park.

Dogs are welcome on the vast majority of these routes and there are plenty of dog-friendly pubs, hotels and other places to stay in the unspoilt towns and villages.

Exmoor Guided Walks
If you really want to discover the delights of Exmoor and visit some of its secret locations, then The Exmoor National Park Authority run a series of guided walks and events throughout the year. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome to come along on suitable walks and they are a great way of exploring the Park and meeting like-minded people.

For a full list of events, log on to www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk. There is also a new series of 'Golden Walks' - these were set-up to celebrate the National Park's 50th anniversary in 2004 - and are based on favourite walks of local people. The leaflets can be purchased at any National Park Centre.

For more information visit www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk

The Quantock Hills
The Quantocks hills are a designated area of outstanding natural beauty and stretch from the edge of Taunton to the Bristol Channel at Kilve. The mixed landscape of ancient woodland, open moorland and river valleys is truly beautiful and has inspired (and been immortalised by) famous poets, including Samuel Coleridge and William Wordsworth.

Public footpaths and bridleways criss-cross the Quantocks and they offer a wide range of walks from gentle strolls on the lower ground, to long rambles that cover steeper terrain, such as hillsides and moorland.

The Quantocks are renown for their accessibility with plenty of car parking and dogs are welcome almost everywhere. However, the landscape is very rich in wildlife and dogs should always be kept under close control, especially near farmland which surrounds the Quantocks and in areas where wild ponies and red deer roam free.

For more details about The Quantocks, visit www.quantockhills.com