Dog-friendly, near you

Dog-friendly hikes near Milwaukee

Looking for somewhere to hike with your dog around Milwaukee? Here are the 29 closest places where a leashed dog is welcome, pulled from every national forest, park, BLM area, wildlife refuge, state park, and dog beach we have verified, and sorted by rough distance from downtown.

Each one is checked for its own dog rule, so you can see at a glance where dogs are fully welcome and where a few limits apply. Distances are a straight-line estimate, so real drive times will run a bit longer.

29 places within ~150 miles, nearest first
WIDog-friendly

Klode Park Beach

Dogs welcome on the sand, leashed or off-leash.
6 miles away · Dog beach
WIDog-friendly

Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
36 miles away · State park
ILLimited access

Illinois Beach State Park

Leashed dogs can join you at Illinois Beach State Park's campground, picnic areas, and inland trails, but not the beach or nature preserve.
41 miles away · State park
WILimited access

Kohler-Andrae State Park

Partly, dogs are welcome on the beach north of the Sanderling Nature Center, but banned on the section south of it for most of the year.
43 miles away · Dog beach
WILimited access

Kohler-Andrae State Park

Partly, Kohler-Andrae allows dogs only on specific trails, a boardwalk, and one section of beach.
44 miles away · State park
WILimited access

Horicon National Wildlife Refuge

Mostly yes, leashed dogs can join you on nearly all refuge trails, but they're not allowed on the Egret Trail boardwalk.
47 miles away · Wildlife refuge
ILDog-friendly

Moraine Hills State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
53 miles away · State park
ILDog-friendly

Montrose Dog Beach

Dogs welcome on the sand, leashed or off-leash.
76 miles away · Dog beach
WIDog-friendly

High Cliff State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
79 miles away · State park
MILimited access

Muskegon State Park

Mostly, leashed dogs can walk the Lake Michigan shoreline outside the roped-off swim area.
80 miles away · Dog beach
MIDog-friendly

Silver Lake State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
84 miles away · State park
MILimited access

Grand Haven City Beach

Mostly, leashed dogs are welcome on City Beach except during midday hours in peak summer.
84 miles away · Dog beach
MILimited access

Holland State Park

Partly. Dogs aren't allowed on the main swim beach but can join you on a separate shoreline area and trails.
88 miles away · State park
PULLDog-friendly

Pullman National Historical Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
95 miles away · National place
WILimited access

Devil's Lake State Park

Mostly, leashed dogs can hike most trails and roads at Devil's Lake, but not the marked nature trails or beaches.
95 miles away · State park
MILimited access

Ludington State Park

Partly, a specific pet beach section sits between the beach house and Big Sable River; most of the shoreline is closed.
97 miles away · Dog beach
MIDog-friendly

Ludington State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
98 miles away · State park
MIDog-friendly

Warren Dunes State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
103 miles away · State park
INDUDog-friendly

Indiana Dunes

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
106 miles away · National park
INLimited access

Indiana Dunes National Park

Mostly, leashed dogs are welcome on nearly all park beaches year-round, with one seasonal exception.
106 miles away · Dog beach
INLimited access

Indiana Dunes State Park

Leashed dogs can hike almost any trail at Indiana Dunes State Park, but they're not allowed on the swimming beach.
106 miles away · State park
WIDog-friendly

Governor Dodge State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
112 miles away · State park
WIDog-friendly

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
130 miles away · Wildlife refuge
ILDog-friendly

Mississippi Palisades State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
131 miles away · State park
ILDog-friendly

Starved Rock State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
131 miles away · State park
ILDog-friendly

Matthiessen State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
132 miles away · State park
WILimited access

Whitefish Dunes State Park

Partly, a specific pet beach area is open year-round, but most of the main beach bans dogs April 1-Nov. 1.
133 miles away · Dog beach
NOCODog-friendly

North Country National Scenic Trail

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
138 miles away · National place
MIDog-friendly

Huron-Manistee National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
147 miles away · National forest
Planning a bigger trip? See the full WI dog trail guide for every dog-friendly park and trail in the state.

Common questions

Where can I hike with my dog near Milwaukee?

There are 29 verified spots within about a 150-mile radius of Milwaukee where leashed dogs are welcome, including national forests, state parks, and in some cases dog beaches. The closest ones are listed above, nearest first.

Are there dog-friendly trails close to Milwaukee?

Yes. State parks and national forests near Milwaukee are usually the most reliable, since most welcome a leashed dog on the trails. The list above ranks them by distance so you can find the nearest.