THE MOST PET FRIENDLY NATIONAL PARKS IN THE UNITED STATES
You may or may not be surprised to learn that most of the U.S. National Parks are actually NOT pet friendly. I know I was shocked when I realize this was the case several years ago. I had been bringing my fur babies to National Parks for YEARS, not knowing it was actually against the rules. Especially because I would regularly see park rangers while visiting the parks and they wouldn’t correct me. In fact, they would come up to me to love on my bulldog!!! I honestly had NO IDEA until I read about it on social media in the comments section of a post on day, then I googled it to see if it was true and sure enough, totally not ok in MOST parks (except in paved areas). SUCH a bummer. Of course after learning this, I now research if a trail is pet friendly, before bringing my fur babies along and even try to help take the guesswork out of it for locals in my area by offering free quarterly day hikes with fur babies. :)
OK, without further adieu, the most pet friendly National Parks in the United States, in no particular order:
1) Olympic National Park, WA - Now let me clarify, most (NOT ALL) of the main hiking trails in this park are not pet friendly BUT pretty much the rest of the park is. Including beaches and hikes like Madison Falls and Spruce Railroad Trail.
2) Shenandoah National Park, VA - Only a very small percentage of trails in this beautiful National Park are not pet friendly. In fact, of the 500+ miles of trails, only about 20 miles are not open to our fur babies. A few popular hikes are Rose river trail (3.8 miles), White Oak Canyon and Cedar Run Trail Loop (8.3 miles) & Hawksbill Summit Trail (1.6 miles).
3) Acadia National Park, ME - Almost 75% of this coastal parks trails are open to pets! Not too shabby! Please note that our fur family are not allowed inside public building, on ranger lead programs or in the lakes.
4) Hot Springs National Park, AR - This National Park allows pets on ALL 26 miles of trails! Unfortunately, they are not allowed in Bathhouse Row.
5) Indiana Dunes National Park - Fur Family is allowed on almost all beaches as well as 12 of the 14 trails! A couple of fan favorites are Cowles Bog Trail (4.3 miles) and West Beach Dune Succession Trail ( 1.0 mile)
6) Petrified Forest National Park - This park allows our furry family on ALL roads and trails! Again, just like Acadia, they are not allowed inside buildings. Be sure to check out the Blue Mesa Trail (1.0 mile)!
7) Congaree National Park, SC - I feel like I may have saved the best for last as far as pet friendly is concerned! This amazing park allows dogs on ALL boardwalks and trails! How great is that!?!?! They are even allowed on some park tours! I feel like I should organize a group trip for us to this amazing National Park one day . . . WITH FUR BABIES!
A few things to remember when exploring the National Parks with your fur family
Don’t let them harass wildlife or other guests
Pick up after your pets, that means their waste too! Make sure to opt for eco friendly poop bags.
Keep them on a leash (6 feet or shorter)
Know where you can go
Make sure your Furry family member has a collar, ID tag (use the code “fauna” for an additional 15% off!) and pet tracker
Bring plenty of water and some food. I love using my Pup Pak for food and water water (use code FAUNA10 for 10% off)
Consider a pet specific backpack for your cat and/or dogs who can’t handle long walks
An escape proof harness for your cat. Cats are well known for being able to escape from just about any harness. I had to try 3 before I found one that was truly escape proof. You can use the code FAUNA for 10% off! :)
Last but not least. Don’t forget the flea and tick prevention!
One more thing, I can not confirm if these allowances apply to cats and dogs or only dogs. From my understanding, it applies to ALL furry family members. All of the websites that I referenced, including official National Parks sites, seemed to phrase it in such a way to imply that it was inclusive of all fur family.