The Most Dog-Friendly National Parks in the U.S.

Hitting the trail is one of the best ways to bond with your pup, but dog-friendly national parks are surprisingly hard to come by. Many parks have cumbersome pet restrictions, including no-dogs-allowed trails, backcountry limitations, or parks with no pets allowed at all. 

These rules are often in place to protect the local wildlife and trail systems, so it’s important to follow them. But fear not: Fido can join you on your next adventure to a National Park Service (NPS) forest, mountain, or coast—as long as you know where to go. 

We’ve compiled the most dog-friendly national parks in the U.S., with details on the best adventures to enjoy within each park, as well as where to camp with your pup when you visit. 

Finding a dog-friendly national park campsite

If you dream of pitching your tent within the park, use Hipcamp’s availability Alerts feature to snag those coveted NPS campsites. And remember—you don’t have to stay directly in the park boundaries to enjoy its dog-friendly amenities. 

Try the free Hipcamp public lands map to find campsites near your favorite parks, and use the quick-search “Pets allowed” functionality to locate camping spots where pets are welcome, too. Finally, if your pup loves to romp, add the “Off-leash” filter to search for campsites where your four-legged buddy can run free.

The B.A.R.K. ranger program

Before you embark on a pet-friendly adventure, the NPS has a few must-follow principles to protect the park, the ecosystem, and the people (and other pets) that visit. It’s all part of the NPS’ B.A.R.K. ranger program. The easy-to-remember B.A.R.K. acronym includes:

• Bag your pup’s waste
• Always have your dog leashed
• Respect the local wildlife
• Know where you can go

Now, with these B.A.R.K ranger rules in mind, it’s time to get planning. Here are seven national parks where dogs are allowed to hike, camp, run, or all of the above.

1. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

As far as dog-friendly national parks go, it’s hard to top Virginia’s Shenandoah—a getaway within 80 miles of the U.S. capital. Dogs are welcome across the majority of this 200,000-acre patchwork of waterfalls, undulating green hills, and forests, including over 95 percent of all park trails. 

Some of the most popular routes include the 1.7-mile Hawksbill Summit route up Shenandoah’s tallest peak or the 3-mile South River Falls jaunt which winds by wildflowers, streams, and one of the park’s grandest waterfalls.

2. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Congaree National Park’s old-growth forests—a maze of pines and bald cypresses—welcome leashed pets on nearly every trail, including its popular 2.6-mile boardwalk, an accessible and elevated path that weaves through thick hardwoods draped in Spanish moss, as well as wetlands teeming with wildlife. 

The park’s campgrounds are open to pets and their parents, too. For a low-crowd route, try the 4.5-mile Weston Lake Trail,  which traverses by dramatic cypress trees with myriad birds swooping overhead.

3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley, another national park where dogs are allowed, invites pets across more than 100 trail miles. The popular and mild-grade Towpath Trail is an ideal option for long and scenic jaunts; this multipurpose trail, which runs from Cleveland down to Akron, cuts through the park for 20 miles. Another show-stopper is the Ledges Trail, a 1.8-mile fairytale-like journey among building-sized boulders and moss-fuzzed rocks.

4. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

Leashed dogs are welcome on the soaring sand mounds of Great Sand Dunes National Park—as long as you stay in the front country. Take Fido up and down the dunes of the day-use areas, and make sure to protect your pup’s paws during the summer, as the sand heat can reach up to 150 degrees. Pets are also allowed in popular camping areas like Piñon Flats Campground.

5. Yosemite National Park, California

The pet restrictions are slightly stricter in Yosemite National Park, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring your favorite hiking buddy to this land of towering crag. Dogs are allowed in the park’s developed areas, on most paved roads, sidewalks, and bike trails, as well as in many park campgrounds. 

Some of the most scenic routes to traverse with your pup include the 2-mile Mirror Lake Trail—named for the glassy lake that reflects the surrounding peaks—and Lower Yosemite Falls Loop, where the whole family can enjoy the trail’s namesake waterfall.

6. New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

Another dog-friendly national park to add to your list: West Virginia’s New River Gorge, an amalgam of whitewater, deep canyons, and scenic overlooks. Leashed dogs are allowed on all trails here, including the scenic 3-mile Grandview Rim Trail, which overlooks the curving New River, as well as the 5-mile out-and-back Endless Wall Trail, where the scenery oscillates from clifftops to dense forests, then clifftops again.

7. Acadia National Park, Maine

For a New England national park that welcomes pets with open arms, try Acadia, a coastal getaway where pets are invited on nearly all 120 trail miles, as well as 45 miles of carriage roads, and select campgrounds like Blackwoods, Seawall, and Schoodic Woods. 

One of the best dog-friendly hikes in Acadia is the 2-mile Bar Island Trail, a seaside walk that’s doable within an hour of low tide. For drool-worthy views, drive or hike 3.5 paved miles up to Cadillac Summit, where views above Maine’s craggy and evergreen-dotted coasts.