National parks that welcome dogs

The most dog-friendly national parks

Here is a short list worth bookmarking. Most national parks keep dogs off the trails, so the ones that welcome a leashed dog are the exception, and they are worth planning a trip around.

Every park below allows leashed dogs on at least some of its real trails, not just the parking lot. We checked each one against the National Park Service's own pet page, and each links to its full rules.

A leash is required almost everywhere, usually 6 feet. Beyond that, the door is open.

17 places, each verified and linked
Acadia National ParkACADDog-friendly

Acadia

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
View of the Congaree River during the FallCONGDog-friendly

Congaree

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
People in bright orange kayaks paddle around a bend in a river, past green trees and a rocky shore.CUVADog-friendly

Cuyahoga Valley

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
Aerial view of the Alatna River as it winds through a valleyGAARDog-friendly

Gates of the Arctic

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
fireworks in the sky over the Arch and city buildings with the river in the backgroundJEFFDog-friendly

Gateway Arch

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
Grasslands, large dunes, and snow-capped peaks at sunsetGRSADog-friendly

Great Sand Dunes

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
A pink sky above gentle white buildingsHOSPDog-friendly

Hot Springs

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
Michigan Lake beach with green grassy dunes in the background, under a blue sky.INDUDog-friendly

Indiana Dunes

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
sun setting on sand dunesKOVADog-friendly

Kobuk Valley

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
Photo of blue sky with fluffy white clouds reflect in calm lake with mountains in the background.LACLDog-friendly

Lake Clark

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
A cascade of water pours over a rock ledge. Green foliage is in the background.MACADog-friendly

Mammoth Cave

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
sun rising over the New River GorgeNERIDog-friendly

New River Gorge

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
Sunlit Painted Desert hills of the Petrified Forest National Wilderness AreaPEFODog-friendly

Petrified Forest

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
A man stands on a rocky outcrop overlooking the receding mountains.SHENDog-friendly

Shenandoah

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
Turquoise water laps white sandy shore fringed with lush green vegetation.VIISDog-friendly

Virgin Islands

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
White dunes in foreground with sun setting behind mountain.WHSADog-friendly

White Sands

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max
Glaciers loom over the ocean with large snowy mountains rising into blue skiesWRSTDog-friendly

Wrangell-St. Elias

Leashed dogs welcome on most or all trails.
Leash · 6 ft max

If a national park you want is not on this list, check its own page, then look at the national forests and BLM land nearby, which almost always welcome a leashed dog.

Common questions

Which national park is the most dog-friendly?

Shenandoah in Virginia and Acadia in Maine are the two standouts, with leashed dogs allowed on the large majority of their trails. Both are rare among national parks for how much ground a dog can cover.

Why do so few national parks allow dogs on trails?

The Park Service limits dogs to protect wildlife and fragile habitat, and because dogs can carry disease and disturb animals. State parks and national forests are usually far more open.