One standout per state

A dog-friendly state park in every state

State parks are usually the easiest yes for hiking with a dog. Most systems welcome a leashed dog right on the trails, which is the opposite of how the national parks tend to work.

Here is one well-known, dog-friendly state park in each state to get you started, pulled from the most popular parks we have verified. Every one allows leashed dogs on its trails.

For the full list in your state, follow the link to that state's guide.

48 places, each verified and linked
ALDog-friendly

Cheaha State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Mountain summit views
AKDog-friendly

Captain Cook State Recreation Area

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Kenai coast, Nikiski
AZDog-friendly

Catalina State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Santa Catalina Mountains trails
ARDog-friendly

Crater of Diamonds State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Dig-your-own diamond field
CODog-friendly

Chatfield State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
reservoir and trails
CTDog-friendly

Devil's Hopyard State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
waterfall and woods
DEDog-friendly

Brandywine Creek State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
piedmont nature preserve
GADog-friendly

Amicalola Falls State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
tallest waterfall park
HIDog-friendly

Waimea Canyon State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Grand Canyon of the Pacific
IDDog-friendly

Castle Rocks State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Granite spires near City of Rocks
ILDog-friendly

Ferne Clyffe State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Waterfalls and bluff hikes
INDog-friendly

Brown County State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Indiana's largest state park
IADog-friendly

Lake Macbride State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Iowa's largest state park
KSDog-friendly

Cheney State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Windiest lake in the Lower 48
KYDog-friendly

Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Border-lake resort park
LADog-friendly

Bayou Segnette State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
New Orleans-area wave pool park
MEDog-friendly

Bradbury Mountain State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
One of Maine's five original state parks
MDDog-friendly

Cunningham Falls State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Maryland's tallest cascading waterfall
MADog-friendly

Blue Hills Reservation

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Boston-area hill range
MIDog-friendly

Hartwick Pines State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Old-growth pine forest
MNDog-friendly

Fort Snelling State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Twin Cities river confluence
MSDog-friendly

Natchez State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Lake near historic Natchez
MODog-friendly

Castlewood State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
St. Louis river bluffs
MTDog-friendly

Bannack State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
historic ghost town
NEDog-friendly

Chadron State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
pine canyons & trails
NVDog-friendly

Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
fossil beds & ghost town
NHDog-friendly

Bear Brook State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
largest developed NH park
NJDog-friendly

Allaire State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
historic village & trails
NMDog-friendly

Bottomless Lakes State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Chain of sinkhole lakes
NYDog-friendly

Bear Mountain State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Hudson Highlands hiking hub
NCDog-friendly

Grandfather Mountain State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
High-elevation peak trails
NDDog-friendly

Cross Ranch State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Missouri River trail system
OHDog-friendly

Malabar Farm State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Louis Bromfield's historic farm
OKDog-friendly

Beavers Bend State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Ouachita Mountain resort park
ORDog-friendly

Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
dune and sea-stack beach
PADog-friendly

Cook Forest State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
old-growth forest cathedral
RIDog-friendly

Beavertail State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
lighthouse rocky coastline
SCDog-friendly

Caesars Head State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Blue Ridge Escarpment overlook
SDDog-friendly

Custer State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Black Hills wildlife loop
TNDog-friendly

Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Downtown Nashville landmark
TXDog-friendly

Brazos Bend State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Alligators & wetlands
UTDog-friendly

Bear Lake State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Turquoise mountain lake
VTDog-friendly

Camel's Hump State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Iconic summit hike
VADog-friendly

Douthat State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
mountain lake
WADog-friendly

Cape Disappointment State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Pacific coast lighthouse
WVDog-friendly

Babcock State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Glade Creek Grist Mill
WIDog-friendly

Copper Falls State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
canyon waterfalls
WYDog-friendly

Boysen State Park

Leashed dogs welcome on the trails.
Wind River Canyon reservoir

Every state has dozens more. Your state guide lists the top parks, each checked for its own dog rule.

Common questions

Are state parks more dog-friendly than national parks?

Almost always. Most state park systems allow leashed dogs on their trails, while most national parks do not. State parks are the better bet for a real hike with a dog.

What is the usual leash rule at state parks?

A 6-foot leash is the common standard, though a few states allow 8 or 10 feet. Dogs are typically kept off swimming beaches and out of buildings.