America’s national parks are more popular than ever, and everyone who visits, including Fido, has a bucket list of experiences they hope to achieve. Unfortunately, finding dog-friendly things to do in national parks can be a challenge. To help you make the most of your visit, we’ve highlighted some of the best and most unique experiences you and your four-legged adventurer can enjoy together.
10 Unique Dog-Friendly National Park Experiences
Posted by Lauren Barker
1. Go Sandboarding
Who says you need snow to sled? In Great Sand Dunes National Park in southern Colorado, you and your pooch can ride the tallest dunes in North America. Stop by one of the local outfitters to rent a sandboard or sled that’s made specifically for sliding on the dunes. A similar experience awaits you and your furry daredevil at White Sands National Park in New Mexico, home to the world’s largest gypsum dunefield. You can purchase waxed snow saucers in the park’s gift shop or bring your own. Just remember that sand gets hot in the summer, so be sure to protect your pup’s paws by sledding in the early morning or evening, or with his own pair of boots.
After all that fun in the sand, Fido will be dog-tired and ready to call it a night at Best Western Alamosa Inn in Alamosa, CO.
2. See the First Sunrise in the Continental U.S.
If Fido is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning, take him to Acadia National Park on the coast of Maine. From the summit of the park’s Cadillac Mountain, you and your pup can be among the first to see the sunrise in the continental United States that day. If your pooch is an avid hiker, leave extra early and take the 7.1-mile round trip hike to the top. For lazier Labs, a daily vehicle permit can be obtained that will allow you to drive to the summit parking area for easy access to lookouts. In addition to receiving the first rays of sun each morning, Cadillac Mountain is also the highest point on the east coast of the U.S. accessible by car.
Book a room at Balance Rock Inn on the Ocean in Bar Harbor, and you’ll be just a short drive from Acadia’s hiking trails. Three campsites in Acadia also permit pets for no additional fee - Blackwoods, Seawall and Schoodic Woods.
3. Take an Airboat Adventure
What would a trip to Everglades National Park be without an exciting adventure on an airboat? Fido is welcome to join you for a ride through South Florida swamps with Coopertown Airboats. Start your visit by exploring Coopertown’s alligator exhibit, where you’ll spot rehabilitated alligators, snakes and turtles. One of their trained experts will teach you about the incredible reptiles and other animals that call the area home. After meeting the locals, your guide will take you and your pup on an educational airboat tour over nine miles of sawgrass prairies, pointing out flora and native wildlife. Once you’re back on land, you’ll have the opportunity to have your photo taken with a baby alligator. Private tours are also available.
For all the creature comforts, stay outside Everglades National Park at Miami International Airport Hotel. If you and your pup prefer to “ruff” it, Flamingo Campground in Homestead accepts dogs for no additional fee.
4. See Old Faithful Erupt
Fido is welcome to join you for perhaps the most famously unique experience in any national park, the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park. This natural wonder, true to its name, erupts at predicted intervals around the clock, spewing boiling hot water up to 184 feet in the air. Dogs may not walk on the boardwalks or trails within the park, but there's a shaded area located about 100 yards away where you and Fido can view the spectacle. Once he’s marked Old Faithful off his bucket list, your pup can join you for a leisurely drive along the Yellowstone Loop, where he can watch for wildlife and steaming fumaroles.
Stay with Fido at Old Faithful Lodge Cabins, where you can also view the famous geyser from the lobby.
5. Kayak or SUP on Glacial Waters
Just a few hours from Seattle, North Cascades National Park boasts more than 300 glaciers atop jagged mountain peaks. These ancient rivers of ice grind rocks into a fine powder called glacial flour, which is carried down streams to Diablo Lake. Bring your own canoe, kayak or SUP and explore this stunning reservoir from Colonial Creek North Campground. You and your four-legged paddler can spend the day admiring the alpine landscape and the beautiful turquoise color of the water. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, spend the night at Colonial Creek Campground, where dogs are welcome for no additional fee.
If Fido prefers cozier digs, Hotel Leo in Bellingham will greet him with treats, bowls, mats, and a pet rug.
6. Visit a Brewery
While pets aren’t permitted inside the historic bathhouses at Hot Springs National Park, they are welcome to join you for dinner and drinks at Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the only brewery in the country located inside a national park. The restaurant serves up a variety of delicious brews and tasty eats, and it offers a dog menu for Fido so he can enjoy a delicious meal inside or on their pet-friendly outdoor patio with misters. They’ll even give Fido a free bandana as a souvenir. Once your bellies are full, head out on some of the 26 miles of pet-friendly nature trails to admire scenic viewpoints like those on Hot Springs Mountain Trail.
You’ll need more than a day to see all the sights, so spend the night at Embassy Suites by Hilton at Hot Springs Convention Center.
7. Pick Fruit From an Orchard
From the 1880s to the 1950s, Mormon pioneers planted thousands of fruit trees in what is now Capitol Reef National Park in southern Utah. In an area mostly surrounded by desert and red rock, the Fremont River made farming the land possible. Today there are 1900 heirloom trees adorning the orchards, and Fido is welcome to join you as you explore and pick your own apricots, apples, peaches, pears, cherries and more. Look for the “U-Pick Fruit” signs to determine which varieties are ready for harvest. Once you’ve picked your bounty, take a walk along the Fremont River Trail or grab a spot at Chestnut or Doc Inglesby picnic areas to enjoy your sweet treat.
Breathe in the fresh Utah air from the balcony or patio of your room at The Rim Rock Inn in Torrey, and grab BBQ or a slice of pizza from the attached restaurant, The Rim Rock Patio.
8. Stargaze at an International Dark Sky Park
The International Dark Sky Association, which protects and preserves the night sky for future generations, has designated many International Dark Sky Parks in the U.S. Each location has vowed to proactively limit its amount of light pollution, giving stargazers on two legs and four a real treat. At national parks like Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Bryce Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, and Death Valley, Fido can join you as you spot celestial objects in the darkest skies in the country. While dogs aren’t allowed in the backcountry or on trails at most parks, the night sky can be enjoyed from almost anywhere, including campgrounds and picnic areas. Remember to check the weather and phase of the moon before you plan to stargaze to avoid clouds and light.
For a unique camping experience under the stars, spend the night with Fido at Jumbo Rocks Campground in Joshua Tree National Park. Pitch your tent among the famous rock formations and find a spot to lie back with your pup to count meteors.
9. Stand Beneath Tree Roots
Olympic National Park encompasses nearly one million acres and three distinct ecosystems - lush, temperate forests, glaciated mountains and the rugged Pacific Coastline, which is where you’ll find dog-friendly Kalaloch Beach & Nature Trail. Fido will enjoy a day of splashing in waves, digging in the sand, and updating his Instagram with a shot beneath the roots of the now-famous Tree of Life, or Tree Root Cave. This Sitka spruce sits along the beach, the ground beneath it eroded away, exposing roots that lead nowhere. How the tree manages to survive on such little land is a mystery you and your pup will have to see to believe.
After a day on the beach, put your sandy paws up at Kalaloch Lodge, where Fido will be welcomed with a Pampered Pooch package complete with a bandanna, bowls and treats. Campers in Olympic National Park will enjoy ocean views at Kalaloch Campground, which welcomes dogs for no additional fee.
10. Paddle Through Mangrove Forests
Biscayne National Park in South Florida is made up of 95% water, making it the perfect destination for human and doggy paddlers. Bring your own kayak, canoe or paddleboard and launch from the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Experienced kayakers will enjoy the trip out to Elliot Key, where Fido is welcome in all developed areas. Beginners will delight in the calm waters of the creeks and canals, weaving through mangrove-dotted shorelines. You and your pup will feel like you’re in another world as you cruise through the canopy, spotting nesting birds, crabs, rays and manatees. The park provides a map with a list of paddling trails ranging from two to 17 miles round trip.
After a day on the water, get your land legs back at TownePlace Suites by Marriott Miami Homestead.