[Link] Map of all U.S. Dog-Friendly National Parks

[jayc_sup]

Hey Reddit, wanted to share a side project I've just finished up – Dog-Friendly National Parks.

Green means dogs are allowed (almost) everywhere in the park, including multiple trails

Blue means to check the NPS website and there are one or more specific trails that allow dogs

Yellow means dogs can only go where cars go

Red means leave them at home

Just the U.S. for now, Canada is coming soon. It's open-source! Links:

• Explore on Google Maps
• GitHub / Source Code

Data Sources:

• U.S. National Parks – Google Maps
• National Park Service
• Canadian National Parks – Google Maps

 

[giovane]

@jayc_sup This is pretty cool, thanks for sharing!

Just wanted to add a reminder to always check the rules for the exact park/trails you're planning on visiting. Even the most dog-friendly national parks still have some restrictions, usually for your dog's own safety. Acadia, for example, is an excellent place to visit with your dog and has something like 100 miles of trails that allow dogs, but a few of their trails are very narrow/steep/require you to climb ladders, and dogs are either banned or heavily discouraged from using those trails.

Also, if you're bummed about dog restrictions at national parks near you, look into national forests! They're usually much more lax about dogs, and many don't even require dogs to be on-leash.

 

[ilovejesus1971]

@giovane Yes, while you can have your dog in RMNP for example, you cannot have them on the trails themselves.

Word of the wise, go to BLM/wilderness land associated with the landscape of the National Park if you want to off leash your dog, and find national forest land if you are okay with leash (most require).

Following the RMNP example, I love the Holy Cross wilderness in Leadville for beautiful mountain terrain, as well as the Indian Peaks Wilderness just south of Estes. The Arapaho NF and Roosevelt NF specifically are very similar to that of RMNP with stunning, dog-friendly, and significantly less busy hikes. The Pisgah NF, blue pride parkway have great hikes in the smokies too.

National parks have grown to be pretty touristy, but they are just part of a vast landscape that is also very enjoyable AND you can bring your dog.

 

[karmel]

@ilovejesus1971

go to BLM/wilderness land associated with the landscape of the National Park if you want to off leash your dog

check state laws first. massachusetts, as an example, recently changed the laws and dogs are no longer allowed off-leash in wildlife management areas.

 

[giovane]

@ilovejesus1971

find national forest land if you are okay with leash (most require)

That hasn't been my experience. As far as I've seen, national forests only require dogs to be on-leash if you are in a developed area. Dogs are typically allowed off leash (as long as they are under voice control) on trails and in the backcountry.

 

[ilovejesus1971]

@giovane Most of my outdoorsing with my dog has been in MO, CO, and the Smokies. Personally I haven’t seen many NF hikes that didn’t say dogs need to be leashed, so I don’t bank on it. From looking through All Trails I would say like 1 in 5 or 6 don’t require a leash?

BLM land is least restrictive though, but also many BLM hikes I’ve gone on don’t even have a trailhead sign. That being said, if the trail isn’t busy I still off leash, it’s never been a problem. If you’re worried you could always look at AllTrails

 

[giovane]

@ilovejesus1971 Maybe it's different out by you, but in the eastern national forests, leashes are usually only required if you're near a major tourist destination or something. I've taken my dogs hiking all over White Mountain National Forest, and the only places that require leashes are the parking lots and attractions along the Kancamagus Highway (which is only, like, 1% of the land area).

 

[inhisservice3320]

@giovane I think it depends a bit on local laws. IIRC, Pisgah around Asheville requires leashes for the parts that are in Buncombe County, and I think a couple of other counties, because they follow the overall county laws.

I don't actually live in Asheville so I could be mistaken.

 

[soccerwife]

@ilovejesus1971 RMNP is definitely listed incorrectly on this map. It should definitely be on Yellow, not green list.

 

[mardisaaron]

@giovane Yeah, the trails marked in blue indicating "pets allowed on one or more trails" is not very informative. For example, the last I knew the Grand Canyon only allowed dogs on the "South Rim Trail" which for the most part is just a flat sidewalk. Many national parks only allow dogs in the campground areas and the rules also say that the dogs cannot be left unattended in a campground, which means if you visit the park with your dog your only option is to spend all your time sitting in the campground with him. In the vast majority of cases the national parks are simply not good places to visit with your dog. Better off at wilderness areas and national forests, many of which are very beautiful, but always check the rules for them too because they vary.

 

[mkladder90]

@giovane Also regional forest passes are hell of cheap.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@giovane Indiana dunes is dog friendly, but the beach is off-limits to dogs. Good callout

 

[1s4b3ll4]

@jayc_sup Very nice!
I seem to remember Smoky Mts being very dog-UNfriendly though. :-( Most of the parks are getting like that. That, and the crowds, and the ever-increasing restrictions, are starting to put a damper on the whole formal parks thing. :-/

 

[ilovejesus1971]

@1s4b3ll4 Indeed, you can’t bring on trails. Check out the Pisgah NF instead!

 

[runaway887]

@ilovejesus1971 Haha wow I live close to pisgah. Do you live in NC by chance?

 

[runaway887]

@1s4b3ll4 Smokey Mtns have a lot if wildlife including black bears, coyotes, and bobcats which comes into play here. Visitors are also notoriously awful and irresponsible which makes it harder for everyone. The blue ridge parkway on the other hand won't give you any troubles with your dog.

 

[bellsmom]

@1s4b3ll4 Yeah dogs are only allowed on two hiking trails in the park. They ARE allowed in campgrounds though, and surprisingly, when I asked a park ranger if dogs were allowed on motor trails such as Cades Cove, Roaring Fork, and Newfound Gap they told me yes (you can take them to the cabins and other stops on the trails).

 

[gautier]

@jayc_sup FYI: Dogs are only allowed on two trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

1. Gatlinburg trail
2. Oconalufe river trail

 

[eastersjohn14]

@gautier Both of those trails are heavily used and pretty flat. Also on the Oconaluftee there are frequently elk present so you might want to take that into consideration.

 

[gup20]

@jayc_sup Lol Gates of the Arctic is dog friendly but you gotta fly to get there in the first place. Love it!