Visiting National Parks with dogs.
Leo in his Junior Ranger hat at the Grand Canyon entrance
There are a lot of limitations to traveling to National Parks with a dog, however it can also be an extremely fulfilling fun adventure if you know what to expect before you go.
First of all, know what to expect as to where you can go in a park with your dog. It is fairly straightforward, they are generally permitted on paved developed spaces like look outs, paved walkways, campgrounds, etc. As the Ranger at Bryce told me: “paws on pavement”. Some parks have more paved paths and walkways that allow for a lot more exploring than others and some permit dogs on more trails than others. For example at Grand Canyon & Bryce Canyon we had many areas we could explore along the rim as most of it has been made easily assessable for all. While Zion & Capitol Reef had fewer walking paths for the dogs, they also provided immense experiences being able to drive through the park with our car.
The best resource to. see where your dog will be permitted in the park is on the National Park Website: National Park Service
search the park you plan to visit
under the tab “plan your visit” select “basic information”
then select “pets” and it will let you know where dogs are permitted in the park.
But absolutely having a dog with you is going to limit the areas of a park you can explore in most National Parks. I strongly suggest if you do go National Park adventuring with your dog that you take a buddy with you so you have someone who can hold your pup as you take turns seeing some of the parts of a park you don’t want to miss. Rarely were the conditions right for us to be able to leave Leo in the car as the parking lots were usually jam packed and finding shade was a rare event. So we had to have him with us the entire time. We took turns going into the stores and visitor centers, hiking some of the trails we didn’t want to miss. This often meant long periods of time just sitting and chilling with Leo while the other person adventured. I still enjoyed this as Leo loved meeting people and was very good about hanging out.
Environments like this are not easy for dogs that are not naturally social. While most people were very good about asking permission to pet Leo more than a few times at each park people just started petting him. He had little children run up and wrap their arms around him surprising both of us, he had little kids bark at him as they walked by. He had multiple dogs just come up into his face as their owners were so distracted by the views not even noticing us. These are the reasons why we did not bring Nick, because I would not have been able to enjoy myself as I would have had to be on constant guard to help him manage those situations while Leo just can. Yes, I still advocated for him, but the reality is that in a park with hundreds of people all around you, it is almost impossible to see everything coming whilst enjoying the park yourself. Not only do you need to be aware of helping protect your dog from unsolicited contact, it’s also important to be aware not everyone likes dogs and some people are afraid of them. So part of my job was also watching people and being responsible and respectful giving those who showed hesitation lots of space so they did not need to pass by him if they were worried.
Can you spot me hiding? In all the photos that look like he might be off leash, I am actually right there. I might be hiding behind him, behind a rock, or standing right next to him just out of the shot. Don’t take your dog’s off leash in a National Park!
Tips for navigating:
Visit during off seasons or hours if possible. We visited before the school season ended, in just a matter of a couple weeks the crowds would be much bigger than what we experienced. For the Grand Canyon we got up early and visited in the early morning before most people arrived.
Utilize local day care options so you can board your dog as you explore the park. Many of the parks have quality day care options outside of the park in nearby towns and the Grand Canyon has a daycare in the park at the South Rim.
Bring a friend/family member to help you manage your pup so you get to see somethings and go in places they cannot go.
Have a plan for how to keep your dog safe if they do not like being touched, use treats to keep them tucked in close to you, don’t get yourself boxed in a corner at a look out, hang back and wait, often the crowds come and go in waves as the shuttle buses drop off, if you wait a moment the area you want to move into might clear out giving your dog more space. But really I would strongly consider if this is the right adventure for them if you will both be stressed the whole time.
The further you get from the park entrances often the areas get less busy, so maybe forgo the busy popular sections and go to the further areas first.
Research dog friendly areas near the parks so you can exercise your dog before and after going to the park.
Bryce canyon NP:
We found this to be a really fun park to explore with Leo. There were many view points where he was permitted. The high elevation meant it was not as hot as some of the other areas we explored. There were many great hiking trails that he was not permitted on, so we did take turns hanging out with him while the other person explored. He was permitted on the paved trail between Sunset and Sunrise view points which was a lovely little hike packed with views, it’s only a half mile long but it did make for a lovely walk we could all enjoy together. We stopped by the visitors center and picked up his Bark Ranger tag for his collection.
Parking at this park was frustratingly hard. Many of the viewpoints took 5-6 tries to find a spot to park. So be prepared to spend more time than you wish looking for a spot if you visit during prime seasons.
Looking for a dog friendly alternative nearby? Check out Red Canyon, part of the Dixie National Forest, just a few miles west of Bryce Canyon. Dogs are permitted on leash on the hiking trails.
We stayed in Kanab, UT at Best Friends Roadhouse OMG! The BEST hotel I have ever stayed at with a pet. Not only are pets welcome, they are adored and catered to! There are no pet fees. There is an onsite fenced in private dog park with a splash pad, an amazing pet wash station with everything you need to give your pup a bath after a day of hiking, a fire pit and outside tables where we were able to hang out and enjoy the desert sunset color filled skies. They gave us great recommendations of where we could eat in town that had outdoor patio areas so Leo could join us, as well as information on dog friendly hikes we could take before heading to our next destination.
Zion NP
This was the hardest of the 4 parks we visited to get a lot out of while having a dog with us. The main scenic drive of the park is only accessible via the public shuttle which dogs are not permitted on. The area around the visitors center was the best area for Leo as it had nice walking paths and decent shade.
The Pa’rus trail was the only trail in the park dogs are permitted on, but look at the ground near this sign, the whole trail was lined with foxtails and I was terrified the whole time that he was going to sniff one up so I spent the whole time trying to keep him safe which made for a very unenjoyable experience so we ended up turning around pretty quickly. I’m sure during other times of the year this would be a great dog hike!
The plus side, the drive in and out of the park was filled with spectacular views that definitely made it worth the visit. But to really see the best of this park, probably best to find a daycare option while you explore.
Grand Canyon NP
Grand Canyon had the most options for us to explore with Leo! He was basically allowed almost everywhere except for below the rim, on any shuttles or in any of the buildings. There were many trails along the rim and viewpoints that we were able to explore together. There is a dog daycare in the park Grand Canyon Kennel at the south rim where we could board him if we wanted to hike without him and one of the hotels inside the park Yavapai Lodge has pet friendly rooms.
We visited during the week before school let out early in the morning and had a great time. By the time we were ready to leave the visitor center the parking lots were jam packed and it was getting very busy. I definitely suggest visiting early/off season so you can spend more time looking at views and less time looking for parking.
We stayed at Hyatt Place Page/Lake Powell in Page Arizona as we also wanted to check out Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend while in the area, and our original plan was to visit the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, however we missed the opening date by a week as the late season snows kept that side of the park closed. The hotel was so lovely! Super welcoming to us with our dog, they do charge a $75 pet fee and their policy says “2 dogs under 50lbs” but they were not only fine with Leo, they were super welcoming and made us feel like special guests. They gave us a welcome gift with treats and toys for Leo and treats for us too! Leo was allowed to join us on the patio so we could enjoy a drink while watching sunset which the hotel is situated perfectly to watch.
We were also pleasantly surprised to find The Page Rim Trail passed right by the hotel! So each morning and evening we were able to hike on the 10 mile loop trail without even getting in the car. Be sure to check out our next post that will cover the other adventures we had exploring this area with Leo in more detail.
Capitol Reef NP
We loved this park! It was our favorite of the trip, probably because it was much less crowded than the others and you could explore so much of the park in your car meaning Leo could go with us. Unfortunately where you can hike with a dog is very limited in the park.
They are allowed on the trail between the visitor center and the campground and in the open orchards. But walking in the orchards proved not to be an option for us as the ground was so uneven with irrigation trenches and the grass seed/foxtails were just too big of a challenge to comfortably walking.
That being said there are many options for hiking outside of the park! The Dixie National Forest, Fishlake National Forest & The Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, BLM wilderness areas are all around this area so it was easy for us to find nice hiking to enjoy with Leo.
We did not take advantage of it as instead we opted to take turns hanging with Leo at the hotel while the other went hiking, however this dog daycare got rave reviews by the locals I asked: Color Country Animal Welfare - dog daycare
Lodging: We stayed at Red Sands Hotel They charge a $50 pet fee and only allow pets in some rooms.
Crater Lake NP
This park is closest to us and we have done many times as a day trip. As with many of the National Parks, they are permitted on all the paved lookouts, on roads (when free of snow), in the campgrounds and picnic areas. There are also 5 trails in the park where dogs are permitted, be sure to visit the website for details of which trails they are permitted on. In the winter when the park is snow covered they are permitted within 50ft of the plowed parking area at the rim.
Outside of the park you can find many dog friendly hiking areas! Some of our favorites: Tokatee Falls, Mt Bailey, Rogue River Gorge and Union Creek.
The lodging inside the park does not permit dogs, though the they are allowed in the campgrounds. Nearby Diamond Lake and Union creek have some pet friendly cabins.
Redwoods National & State Parks
Be sure to stop by the visitors center and find out about the BARK Rangers program! Ask the ranger about where to go with your dog and they can guide you to the roads where you can walk through the Redwoods with your dog. Dogs are not allowed on any of the trails, but the dirt roads meandering through the trees was definitely well worth it.
The BARK Rangers program is available at most National Parks, but we had our best experience with it at this park where the Ranger came out to meet Leo and did a swearing in ceremony. It was so cute and sweet!
Perhaps the best part of visiting the Redwoods with a dog is how close you are to the Oregon Coast!!! One of the very best places to visit with a dog! You will find plenty of options for places you can stay with your dog along the Oregon Coast.
Bark Rangers
What is the Bark Rangers program?
It is an oath you take as a pet owner to follow the following rules:
B. Bag their poop and dispose of it properly.
A. Always on a leash.
R. Respect Wildlife.
K. Know where you can go.
Most parks now have Bark Ranger dog tags you can buy to collect as you visit with your dog. Some also have things like bandanas and other park specific swag you can pick up for your pup.
What National Parks have you visited with your dog?
Which is your favorite?
Is your dog a Bark Ranger?