Treasure Trails is adding a dog-friendly section to its list of more than 1,200 nationwide Trails following an influx of enquiries during lockdown.

To celebrate National Pet Month (April), Treasure Trails has added a dog-friendly search filter to its website, enabling customers to browse Trails that have no restrictions for dogs.

The popular self-guided walking trails have seen a huge increase in interest in the past 12 months as people seek out safe and fun activities that they can do close to home.

Now people are looking at routes that are dog friendly so they can combine walkies with their very own mini-adventures.

Treasure Trails are themed self-guided walking Trail booklets (only £9.99 each), which take explorers on a circular outdoor route of approximately two miles through villages, towns, cities and other outdoor spaces. En route, you have the added challenge of working together to hunt down clues and solve a puzzling Detective Mystery, Treasure Hunt, or Spy Mission.

Each puzzle incorporates clues on landmarks, signs, statues, monuments, images, engravings, and other eye-catching features. So, whilst you catch crooks and track down spies or hidden treasure, Treasure Trails showcase your surroundings in a fun and adventurous new light – and your pooch gets to enjoy a new walking route.

There are more than 1,200 Treasure Trails across the UK to choose from, and 70% of them are dog-friendly.

“Treasure Trails are a great way to get outside and get your steps up, and dogs will benefit from being taken along for the adventure, as most of our 2-mile Trails take between 1.5 to 2 hours to complete,” said Aaron Hutchens, Treasure Trails General Manager.

“The pandemic has meant we have all had to adapt our daily activities. For many people, walking the family pet has become a key part of the day-to-day routine and they're now looking at fun ways to add a bit of adventure to their dog-walking duties with the help of Treasure Trails.”

Whilst on many Treasure Trails there will be a few clues in a park where you can let your dog off for a good old run-around, the majority of the Trails require a dog to be kept close on a lead as the routes lead through streets where there are people and traffic.

None of the Trails enter private land, but clues on some Treasure Trails are hidden in areas that don't permit dogs – such as some parks and church grounds.

To make life easier for dog owners looking to do a Treasure Trail, a new function has been added to the website, which filters all completely restriction-free Trails for dogs, so owners can enjoy every part of the Trail with their four-legged friends. 

Treasure Trails are available to buy online at treasuretrails.co.uk. They can be downloaded as a printable PDF or posted as a printed booklet. 

NOTES FOR EDITORS 

Visit treasuretrails.co.uk to find out more and to download one of more than 1,200 Trails across the UK.  Contact Sarah if you would like to try a Treasure Trail.

Treasure Trails have entertained over two million people since 2005 and their customers love what they do, rating them 4.8 stars (out of 5) on the Independent Review site Ekomi.

TREASURE TRAILS CODE OF CONDUCT

Treasure Trails are ideally suited for everyone to re-discover what's around them in a fun and responsible way.

• Make sure to check current restrictions on travel in your region when choosing the location of your Trail walk.

• While exploring, ensure you follow social distancing rules at all times. Be prepared to skip a clue if social distancing is not possible.

• If planning a Trail with people outside your household group, make sure you are still following the latest guidelines for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland on how many other people you can meet up with outdoors.
• Avoid touching any hard surfaces such as plaques, signs or information boards that Clues may be set on, or gates, walls or benches.
• Don't linger for too long – if you need to, take a photo of a plaque or sign and move to a quieter area, or solve the Clue at home.
• Respect others – remember that there are many vulnerable people who still need to self-isolate.  While walking, please keep a safe distance from residential homes, schools and other premises.