The friendliest federal land

Dog-friendly national forests

If you only remember one thing about hiking with a dog, make it this: point the car at a national forest and you almost cannot go wrong.

Nearly every national forest in the country welcomes leashed dogs on its trails, which makes them the friendliest federal land there is for a dog owner. Here is the full verified list.

A 6-foot leash is required in developed areas like campgrounds and trailheads, and out on the trail your dog needs to be under control. Beyond that, the door is wide open.

107 places, each verified and linked
PADog-friendly

Allegheny National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Angeles National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AZDog-friendly

Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
CODog-friendly

Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
UTDog-friendly

Ashley National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MTDog-friendly

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WYDog-friendly

Bighorn National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MTDog-friendly

Bitterroot National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
SDDog-friendly

Black Hills National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
IDDog-friendly

Boise National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WYDog-friendly

Bridger-Teton National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
IDDog-friendly

Caribou-Targhee National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NMDog-friendly

Carson National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
GADog-friendly

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
WIDog-friendly

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
TNDog-friendly

Cherokee National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MNDog-friendly

Chippewa National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AKDog-friendly

Chugach National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NMDog-friendly

Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Cleveland National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AZDog-friendly

Coconino National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WADog-friendly

Colville National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AZDog-friendly

Coronado National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MTDog-friendly

Custer Gallatin National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NDDog-friendly

Dakota Prairie Grasslands

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Grassland
KYDog-friendly

Daniel Boone National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Deschutes National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
UTDog-friendly

Dixie National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
PRDog-friendly

El Yunque National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Eldorado National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
UTDog-friendly

Fishlake National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MTDog-friendly

Flathead National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
SCDog-friendly

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
ORDog-friendly

Fremont-Winema National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
VADog-friendly

George Washington and Jefferson National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
WADog-friendly

Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NMDog-friendly

Gila National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CODog-friendly

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
VTDog-friendly

Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
MTDog-friendly

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MIDog-friendly

Hiawatha National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
INDog-friendly

Hoosier National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NVDog-friendly

Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MIDog-friendly

Huron-Manistee National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
IDDog-friendly

Idaho Panhandle National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
CADog-friendly

Inyo National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AZDog-friendly

Kaibab National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
LADog-friendly

Kisatchie National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Klamath National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MTDog-friendly

Kootenai National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Lassen National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NMDog-friendly

Lincoln National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MTDog-friendly

Lolo National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Los Padres National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Malheur National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
UTDog-friendly

Manti-La Sal National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MODog-friendly

Mark Twain National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CODog-friendly

Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
CADog-friendly

Mendocino National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Modoc National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WVDog-friendly

Monongahela National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WADog-friendly

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Mount Hood National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
TXDog-friendly

National Forests and Grasslands in Texas

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
ALDog-friendly

National Forests in Alabama

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
FLDog-friendly

National Forests in Florida

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
MSDog-friendly

National Forests in Mississippi

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
NCDog-friendly

National Forests in North Carolina

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
NEDog-friendly

Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
IDDog-friendly

Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
ORDog-friendly

Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WADog-friendly

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WADog-friendly

Olympic National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MIDog-friendly

Ottawa National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ARDog-friendly

Ouachita National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ARDog-friendly

Ozark-St. Francis National Forests

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
IDDog-friendly

Payette National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CODog-friendly

Pike and San Isabel National Forests, Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forests
CADog-friendly

Plumas National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AZDog-friendly

Prescott National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CODog-friendly

Rio Grande National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
IDDog-friendly

Salmon-Challis National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

San Bernardino National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CODog-friendly

San Juan National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NMDog-friendly

Santa Fe National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
IDDog-friendly

Sawtooth National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Sequoia National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Shasta-Trinity National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ILDog-friendly

Shawnee National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
WYDog-friendly

Shoshone National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Sierra National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Siuslaw National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Six Rivers National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Stanislaus National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
MNDog-friendly

Superior National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CADog-friendly

Tahoe National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AKDog-friendly

Tongass National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
AZDog-friendly

Tonto National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
UTDog-friendly

Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Umatilla National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Umpqua National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
OHDog-friendly

Wayne National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
NHDog-friendly

White Mountain National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
CODog-friendly

White River National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest
ORDog-friendly

Willamette National Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
National Forest

There are more than a hundred of them, near almost every mountain town in the country. Find the one closest to you and go.

Common questions

Can dogs go off-leash in national forests?

In developed areas, no, a 6-foot leash is required. On the open trail many forests allow voice control, but rules vary by district and a leash is always the safe choice around wildlife and other hikers.