Dog Friendly Hiking Vacations – Want to take your dog for a hike in a US national park? We’ve shared, in our opinion, the five best kennels in the US for dog lovers.
National parks in the United States offer a variety of valuable activities and experiences. Walking comfortably with your four-legged best friend isn’t always one of them! But there are parks that you can enjoy. In this article, we are sharing five dog parks in the US for you to travel with your pup.
Dog Friendly Hiking Vacations
I am a fan of national parks, a dog lover and love to take my “big boy” everywhere. I also like to go places that can come with me. (Except for an annual trip to somewhere like Greece, Patagonia or Costa Rica!)
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Dogs are welcome in most zoos in the US, but what they can and can’t do there varies greatly. I was lucky enough to have a dog-free opportunity to visit almost every national park in the United States (56/63 is my writing and all in Alaska and Samoa.) Cotopaxi and I love going everywhere together. . So I started researching, finding and meeting national parks in the US that don’t get to join me; but those who are legally allowed to leave the car and walk with me!
Me and Cotopaxi in Southwest Harbor Maine in Acadia National Park on one of their many dog trails.
It is a privilege to bring your dog to the national park. Please leave them alone, clean up after them and be careful. Most of the bears on the Appalachian Trail are caused by stray dogs, I was informed by a ranger while hiking in 2023. And while we’re at it..
Cotopaxi and B.A.R.K. Ranger and if you choose to bring your best friends from all over the world please consider the same.
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We were in this long and narrow Virginia National Park for 10 days hiking 110 miles of the Appalachian Trail. AT grades are lower in this park than most ATs and are perfect for dog walking. Big Meadows Lodge has pet friendly rooms and all 3 of our lodges had lots of dogs staying in them. The park also offers access to Waysides which were a bit steep when we weren’t on the AT. Typically, this park is found in DC, Baltimore, and a few other cities on the East Coast. You feel better knowing your dog and being able to go out and explore. Of the US kennels I’ve visited, this might be the best.
From the Endless Wall Trail to Long Point to Kaymoor Miners, this West Virginia state park is famous for its hiking and rock climbing/hiking nearby. Also the dog walking game is very good.
The city of Fayetteville is a fun little town that is home to designers, artists, breweries and restaurants. We stayed at this Sasquatch themed airbnb with a huge fenced yard that is also pet friendly.
Cotopaxi probably won’t be going up the New River anytime soon (canoeing and kayaking are fine). However, they do enjoy climbing in NRG and the new state park is a great place to visit.
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The first stop at Cotopaxi National Park was also his first camping trip and our first trip with him. The National Park and National Park are adjacent to each other and we did the 3 Dune Challenge which is technically a National Park. According to their website, “Leashed animals are allowed in the state park and park. Dogs are welcome on the beach except for the protected swimming areas at West Beach and the state park. They are also allowed on any trail except the Pinhook Bog. Trail and the Glenwood Dunes Trail System.”
This is a protected area in the US National Park. It is located near Chicago and is located in the Great Lakes region. We camped at Dunewood Campground and from there you can bike along Lake Michigan through Beverly Shores. Make sure you have good pasta at Goblin and Grocer (a few steps from the shop).
We spent the summer in two different Northern Michigan towns bordering the beautiful National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan.
And this included track repairs, cleaning and various other things. This helped me and Cotopaxi walk the trails all the time. From Pyramid Point to Empire Bluff to Platte River Trails to Alligator Hill we had TONS of dog trails. The only two trails I did that weren’t dog friendly were the Dune Climb and Sleeping Bear Point.
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High and low classes are also suitable for dogs. The small towns surrounding Sleeping Bear (Franklin, Interlochen, Empire, Leelanau, Leland, Northport and others) were also very dog friendly.
The only trip I took where my friend and Cotopaxi were home was the boat trip back to the Manitou Islands. I wrote about a visit to the Manitou Islands on my blog HERE!
Cotopaxi in Joshua Tree National Park is one of MANY dirt roads that few cars drive on, perfect for walking among Yucca!
For example, we currently live in the city of Joshua Tree California, near the national park. Dogs are allowed to walk/hike on the dirt roads here (which we do most of the time) but not on the footpaths. The reason for this is a water source for the endangered bighorn sheep on the roads. Sources are important for survival and seeing dogs as threats. Sheep do not go to water if they hear/see/hear dogs nearby. Death Valley and Saguaro are two other parks that have been visited, but are not allowed on the route. Then there are parks like the Grand Canyon. There are some trails that are off limits, but you can walk/hike the entire Rim Trail. The Grand Canyon is a great place you know, the Rim Trail is what you want. He is tall.
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Super friendly like the ones on our list, smaller but doable like the Grand Canyon, and then the ones you have to get creative or leave at home like Joshua Tree.
If you insist on walking your dog and don’t want to take detours, the national forests are the place for you! This is very limited in terms of where your dog can go (they still have poo bags) but you and your pooch can figure it out in the future.
Visiting national parks and being able to bring your dog is an unforgettable experience. Depending on how you want to spend your time there, you should think about choosing where to go. And if I didn’t leave them at home or at my friend’s!
Fun routes and safe travels for you and your children! Thanks for reading and supporting the Happy People Hike. Comment below with questions or your favorite places in the US to walk your dogs.
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Nomad, Daddy Dood, Lovers of the Planet. Hashtag59 & Happy People Boarding Lead Intern. Freelance writer and producer. Health and Welfare Officer. We have done this almost every year since Emmett has been with us. We pack our bags and head to a cabin in the woods somewhere for a long week of pet-friendly activities: hiking, sleeping, eating, everything!
Planning a trip around your dog is so much fun because… well… let’s talk vacations for a minute first.
We ALL need to escape from time to time. Even the KonMaried among us have stress, and the holidays give us a chance to get out and recharge. Dogs? Well, they don’t have the same weight every day. (Thank goodness, okay? That’s one of the things that makes dogs so magical!) But most dogs are bored. And even if your dog is not tired, the dog loves you and loves the opportunity to work together and play!
Warning: It’s about planning a vacation around your dog. In 2006 we could take Em anywhere and he loved nothing more than sitting in the petting zoo looking for food. He can visit a winery more easily than he can visit and be happy about it. If your dog is like this, he is AWESOME! You can do anything for your child’s holiday!
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Cooper, though… Coop isn’t like a lone wolf. The public space drives him. Every time I took him to a coffee shop to teach, he was so worried that he didn’t get a present, even when I bought him his own plate of something delicious like scrambled eggs! This kind of vacation cannot be more fun, enriching, binding. However, he likes to exercise. He likes to run. He likes to travel. He loves a physical challenge and so do we
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