Eden Ethical Dog Sledding Experience

Dog sledding was amazing today! These are yes working dogs but they are so loved and what made me ok with it. They are never chained or stuffed in crates. They are free to roam and play at all times on the huge property. When they were harnessed up they were howling and pawing at the snow to run. You could see their excitement and that they aren’t forced and they really love it. Then watching the owners interact with them was like watching a full conversation between the man and his dogs. They understood everything he said. It was a great experience all around

This was an amazing experience! It’s true that Mother Nature smiled on us, but everything else is credited to Jim and Hailey. My friend and I stayed in Larkspur cabin two nights and did a dogsledding ride one afternoon. The dogs are happy, friendly and well cared for. Both Jim and Hailey could talk about each dog’s history, personality, and capabilities. The property is gorgeous and the trails are beautiful and well maintained - we managed to go snowshoeing three times while we were there and had the woods completely to ourselves. The accommodations are just what you’d expect in the Northern Vermont woods: rustic and charming and comfortable. Jim was very accessible before and during our stay. I read one review complaining about the cost. If you stop to think of the cost of paying salaries, caring for 19 dogs, maintaining multiple buildings and stewarding 140 acres of land, the cost seems very reasonable. And for most of us, being whisked through a winter wonderland on a sled by a pack of dogs is a once in a lifetime, exhilarating, joyful experience. Go with an open mind and an open heart.

Amazing experience!! We went for the open house, a perfect way to do something we may not have been able to otherwise! Everyone was so welcoming, knowledgable, and willing to share so much. And of course the dogs were so sweet and obviously loved! (Rusty has my heart❤️) Getting to meet them all, help harness them, and learn about how they are cared for made the ride that much more special. We hope to go back soon to support this wonderful mission! Thank you!

This is the most excellent experience. Jim, Hayley and all of the dogs were so warm and welcoming, and made our time together absolutely fantastic. If you are in the area, this is a must do experience. It’s clear the dogs are looked after so well, and absolutely love doing what they do. Thank you so much, it was definitely the best part of our holiday. All the best to you both (and all the dogs!!!!) for the future.

One of the coolest things I’ve ever done. Getting to know the dogs in a warm, charming cabin with cookies and hot chocolate before the ride was really special. We were all excited to see which one of our favorites dogs would pull us on the sled. We rode with Jim who answered all of our questions about the dogs and the property.if you are going up to Smugglers or Stowe this is worth the drive! Going to Eden and riding with the dogs is a bucket list, once in a lifetime experience! You must go!

This place is wonderful! Jim, the owner is helpful, and willing to share his story. The kennel has 32 Alaskan huskies and they are beautiful and friendly. The dogs really enjoy running. The property is 160 acres and Jim creates the trails himself, with a huge machine. They also had cookies and hot chocolate for us after the tour. The offer goggles if you forget them. It's totally worth the visit.

Amazing experience at Jim’s place! Worth every penny! The dogs are friendly and wonderful and you get a hands on experience. The trails are beautiful and you get to warm up in the barn with hot chocolate, cookies, snacks and a real wood burning stove. Hope to visit again sometime!

We had the best time at Eden Ethical Dog Sledding Experience. Jim and Hayley are wonderful with their customers and the dogs. They educated us on the dogs and showed us how to harness and get them ready for racing. Those dogs live the life! We were there before snow so we used the wheeled cart. It was a blast!

Our family visited from Houston so this was a perfect way to enjoy our Christmas Holiday!! The owner displayed true professionalism and everything was so organized from beginning to end. The entire crew was very helpful at educating the kids and letting us hang out with the dogs for a bit. The quality that we experienced was top tier. Jim genuinely cares about each of the dogs, and about the clients walking through the doors. I pray for so much success for this sledding crew!

Our family absolutely loved this experience! Being from Texas we felt like this would likely be the only time we'd ever get this opportunity so we jumped on it. When we arrived we were greeted by several very gentle and friendly dogs. My daughters, 11 and 13 love dogs and we could hardly pull them away when it was time to leave! We so enjoyed just hanging out with the dogs, hearing about their personalities and learning about the sport. Jim was an excellent host, very friendly and made us feel welcome in his environment. The ride was a blast! Lots of beautiful snow and the dogs were SO EXCITED to run! We were well bundled with blankets for the ride and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. We highly recommend!

Had an awesome experience interacting with the dogs and sledding. Dogs seemed really happy and eager to run in the snow. We were a group of six and there was weight limit per sled so we split our time into half for 3 at a time. It was perfect and the kids had a blast. Wish there was more snow.

This was one of the best things we ever did. We arrived and spent a good 40 min with the dogs. They get introduced and we learn about different personalities. We love Ben and Jerry (though Jerry can get way too silly ). The dogs bring you their toys and everyone snacks on popcorn. Then the dogs are selected and everyone helps with the harnessing. The excitement the dogs had to run was so nice to see. After the ride we fed the dogs. Then they came in for more belly rubs and tons of scratching behind the ears! The sled ride was awesome but being in a room full of the sweetest dogs was the best! Totally recommend experiencing this with kids who are a bit scared of dogs. My 6 year old tends to stay away but she was playing with a few them and has a fav (she likes Pearl!). Jim is the kindest host and so easy to talk to!

My partner and i had a wonderful time dog sledding. We have some suggestions for Jim at the end. Firstly, the dogs are amazing. While my partner loved the sledding, i honestly loved being surrounded by these dog that are gentle giants. Even the noisy ones (very few) are only noisy because they're excited and are so gentle and fuzzy and warm. I got to give them treats and get pics with them and i loved every second! Polly and brain and babouche and honovi were some of my faves. Jim loves his dog and he was kind enough to give me a free tee shirt because it was my birthday! Suggestion: my partner thinks the ride could have been longer (i don't, i think Jim knows his dogs best), but other than the length of the ride he wishes it was more private (we were behind another sled), and again i don't necessarily agree, because there's strength in numbers. Highly recommend Jim and come in early to meet puppies - also free cookies, popcorn, hot drinks! Felt like home! Or heaven rather with all those amazing dogs!

I surprised my husband with a trip to Eden. We showed up a little early and were able to hang out with the dogs before the harnessing and hitching. We met some older (retired) dogs as well as some 9 month old puppies that are just learning to pull sleds. Katelyn was our tour guide and she was great - we learned a lot about sled dogs and racing. Mufasa, Waffle and Flint led the team - plus 6 of Katelyn's dogs (Gus, Corano, Alex, Violet, and Amazon). We brought ski clothes to stay warm - and were also wrapped in blankets in the sled - no issues with being cold! the ride was great - there's some gorgeous scenery up there! When we arrived back - we rewarded the dogs with treats and were rewarded with our own treats of local cookies and organic hot chocolate from the stove. I was drawn to this place because of the ethical (unchained) treatment of the dogs. They sure live the life!! They are treated with respect and dignity and as a result are incredibly sweet, well behaved and hardworking. I highly recommend a visit to Eden - you won't be disappointed!

On vacation from California we discovered this little gem. My 3 boys fell in love with the dogs and it was the highlight of our week long vacation. The owner and his staff are all first rate and very professional but very down to earth and friendly. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the area with kids.

I was visiting Stowe, VT this summer, looking for things to do in the area, and Eden Dogsledding was recommended via the Smugglers Notch website. Dogsledding in the summer, you ask? Dogsledding in the summer = "Dogcarting." Brilliant. This was a one-of-a-kind magical experience. The dogs pull you on a two-person cart with wheels, through the woods and over to a lake, where you untie the dogs so they can go swimming. If you wear your swimsuit, you can go swimming with them! The day just kept getting better. Jim is nice and welcoming. You can actually stay in a guest house on their property too - how cool is that? Not difficult to find if you use Google Maps. Completely worth it.

While in line at the July Stoweflake balloon festival, a couple told us about this place. We took a chance and went there on Saturday with our two kids (8 and 12). It was a once in a lifetime experience. Jim Blair is a world cup champ in dog sledding and he was an amazing host. I recommend at least the beta package because you and your kids will spend a lot of time getting to know the dogs, how they are taken care of and how the whole racing thing works. Even if you don't have kids, you will still have an amazing experience. We did the 12:30 tour and Jim was very gracious with the time he spent with us. We plan to go back in the winter and take the sled tour too (the summer tours are on roller sleds). Lastly, Jim raises his dogs with love an care. His 33 dogs are part of the Blair family. They were great around my kids. If you are a dog lover, animal lover or just want to learn a ton about dog sledding, we strongly recommend this.

What an amazing experience!!! We can't recommend Eden Dog Sledding enough! They managed to fit a large group of us in at the last minute and no one has been able to stop talking about it since. It was wonderful getting to spend time wih the dogs and learning about how everything worked. Friends of ours visiting from England with their their little boy and have gone back with ultimate christmas card picture! Thanks to everyone at Eden for the experience of a lifetime... We can't wait to come back!

What an amazing experience! Never been up this far north in Vermont before, a long drive but totally worth it! Stayed at a friend's place in Stowe and drove about 45-60 min from there to Eden's Dog Sledding. Jim, the owner, is the most hospitable host! He served us home made hot chocolate, cookies warmed by the fire and cheese and crackers. Loves to answer questions and talk about the sport. We got lucky on a beautiful day, it even snowed freshly during our ride. The doggies take over the lodge, good luck finding a seat on the couch. They are all so sweet and loveable, friendly and cuddly. Additionally such hard workers! They pulled our big group split into two rides of about 45 min each ride. After we gave them treats and played with them more inside by the warm fire. Be sure to wear lots of warm layers as it gets chilly while you're riding and not moving too much. Definitely recommend this tour, especially if you are a dog/animal lover. How beautiful to see these huskies in action! Would do it all over again, for sure!