What dog doesn’t like going for a W-A-L-K?
According to the American Pet Products Association, approximately 62 percent of households in the United States have pets, which include about 78 million dogs. Many people include their dogs in their travel plans, since placing a dog in a kennel for an extended period of time can be quite expensive, as well as stressful for the dog.
Many national park sites allow dogs on specified trails, and some national park concessioners allow dogs in some lodging facilities, like Xanterra Parks and Resorts at Yellowstone National Park and Delaware North Companies at Shenandoah National Park.
If you plan to bring your dog with you on a visit to a national park, you should be prepared. An important thing to remember is that heat can kill. Be sure to carry enough water for you and your pet. If you travel to a park where dogs are allowed only in specific areas, don’t leave your dog in a hot vehicle or RV while you explore parts of the park that restrict dogs. This practice is generally prohibited at national park sites, and your pet could be impounded.
Hot sand and rocky terrain can injure the sensitive pads on a dog’s feet, so be sure that Fido’s precious paws are protected. Hiking through wooded areas in parks can pose a danger of ticks, which can spread diseases to you and your pet. Wear appropriate clothing to protect yourself, and check your dog thoroughly after a visit to a park to prevent any ticks from latching on to your dog. Don’t deviate from trails while visiting a park with your dog, since harmful insects and reptiles such as poisonous snakes and spiders can hide in tall grasses and shrubbery.
Some national park sites do not allow dogs, and there are very good reasons for these restrictions:
* Dogs can potentially carry diseases that could affect the park’s wildlife. Unvaccinated dogs could spread diseases to park wildlife. Unfortunately, not all pet owners are responsible about keeping their dog’s vaccinations up to date.
* Dogs can unknowingly threaten wildlife, scaring birds and other animals away from nesting, feeding, and resting sites. The scent left by a dog can signal the presence of a predator, disrupting or altering the behavior of park wildlife. Small animals may hide in their burrow the entire day after smelling a dog and may not venture out to feed.
Clover showing off her Bark Service bandana.
* Unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells can disturb even the calmest, friendliest, and best-trained dogs, causing them to behave unpredictably or bark excessively. Domesticated dogs are descended from wolves, and their instincts can take over in a situation where they feel threatened or frightened.
* Pets may become prey for larger predators such as coyotes, mountain lions, and bears in some of the larger wilderness parks. Additionally, if a dog disturbs and enrages a bear, it may lead the angry bear directly to the owner. Dogs can also encounter insects that bite and transmit disease, and plants that are poisonous or full of thorns and burrs.
* Historic structures, archaeological sites, and sacred grounds are no places for dogs. Fido could unknowingly damage historic buildings or artifacts, disturb important archaeological sites, and walk over or relieve themselves in places that are sacred to Native Americans and other groups.
* Not everyone is a “dog person.” In fact, some people are afraid of dogs, and it is the responsibility of park officials to provide a safe, enjoyable environment for all visitors, even if they aren’t “dog people.” These rules are in place not only to protect your dog, but to protect you and other visitors as well as the environs of the park.
Failure to adhere to a park’s pet policy may result in a citation (minimum fine is $75). 36 CFR 2.15 (Code of Federal Regulations) provides more details concerning pets in National Park Service areas.
Here is a list of a few national park sites that allow dogs, and their specific rules. Check the National Park Service’s website or contact a park directly for individual rules regarding dogs in parks before visiting-- each park may have different stipulations based on the location, resources, and environment of the park.
Saratoga National Historical Park, with its rolling hills and gorgeous scenery of the Hudson Valley in New York, is a wonderful place for leashed dogs and their owners to explore. Although dogs are not allowed in the visitor center or inside park buildings, the park offers a tie-up area adjacent to the visitor center entrance, and provides water and waste bags in certain areas.
Dogs are welcome at Cape Hatteras National Seashore! Horses are allowed at Cape Hatteras as well, and can travel anywhere vehicles are permitted to drive except in campgrounds. Horses are required to use ORV (Off Road Vehicle) ramps when crossing dunes. There are some understandable restrictions at Cape Hatteras: Pets are not allowed on designated swim beaches or in buildings, nor are they allowed in protected resource areas such as sea bird and sea turtle nesting areas.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, situated between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, is a great place to take your dog. It has more than 100 miles of multi-use trails! Dogs must be restrained on a leash that is six feet or shorter in length on park lands at all times, and they are not permitted in park buildings or on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (exception for service animals).
At Cumberland Gap National Historical Park in Kentucky, leashed dogs are welcomed throughout the park’s 24,000 acres. Horses are permitted on designated trails and at the Hensley Camp, White Rocks, and Martins Fork backcountry campsites.
Devils Postpile National Monument in California is so dog-friendly that it includes dogs in its volunteer program, called the “Paw Patrol.” Volunteers patrol the park with their canine companions to help keep visitors educated on the rules associated with dogs at the monument, and to serve as ambassadors on the trails, sharing information with visitors and answering questions.
Eastern National, a cooperating association at more than 150 national park sites, has introduced the “National Bark Ranger” product line for dogs, which will allow them to show their national park pride. There are several items available in multiple colors, including a leash, collars, bandanas, a poo bag dispenser, a pull toy, and a collapsible water bowl, all emblazoned with the fun “Bark Ranger” logo. These items are available at some national park sites and on eParks.com. Click here to see the full product line.
So get out there and take your dog for a W-A-L-K in a park—it will be great fun for both of you!
Comments
Yes Tamara, there are trails that would be inappropriate for dogs, including the hike to the Grand Canyon floor. However the ban is on virtually all trails, most of which wouldn't require a helicoptor if your dog was injured. Not to mention your dog is probably less likely to be injured than you.
I have moose in my backyard and they don't stress/injure or kill my dogs. A dog on a trail secured on a leash is far less a threat to wildlife than is other wildlife.
I recently hiked a forest service trail above Flagstaff. I have never seen so many dogs however most were on leash. I must admit that walking in dog poop is no worse than walking in mule poop and urine. But one of the things I like about national parks is they are about the only place you can get away from dogs and their barking when you are in the backcountry. Regarding tasering dogs I have carried bear spray walking around Fairbanks, Alaska. I would not hesitate to use it on an off leash dog or it's owner. Fortunately I live in the progressive State of Texas where you can kill someone who threatens you in a space where you have a right to be and you have no duty to retreat.
I have little sympathy for dog owners who think their pets should have the same rights as children and should be allowed on all trails.
I'll agree, I don't believe that pets should be on "all trails" - and doubt there are many powners that actually think dogs should. But there are an awful lot of trails that the dogs could be on without danger to you, the dogs or wildlife.
I just returned home from and extended trip that included Crater Lake, Redwood, and Lassen. In all three of those parks, I was surprised by the sheer number of dogs traveling with their humans. Some RVs were carrying three dogs. I saw one campsite in Lassen with five dogs. It was also dismaying to witness the number of dog owners who were simply irresponsible because 1) their dogs were never on a leash and 2) they made no attempt to clean up after the animals made deposits in the campground.
The site I occupied in Crater Lake was full of dog poop. I cleaned up at least a dozen piles of the stuff. In Lassen, one dog spent most of its time chasing ground squirrels through the campground.
I'd have no problem with the dogs -- but I sure have problems with their irresponible and lazy owners. I think I can foresee a time when there will be enough public reaction to situations like this when we will be forced to return the old policy of No Dogs in our national parks as it was back in 1966 when I started in Yellowstone.
If that happens, dog owners will no doubt scream wail cry and blame everyone but the ones they should blame.
Sorry, but there won't be any sympathy from this ol' guy.
Yes, there are irresponsible owners. But then there are irresponsible non-owners who fail to clean upafter themselves, who harrass wildlife, who endanger others with improper food storage. Should we ban all humans from the park? The answer isn't bannishment, its enforcement. Did you report the unleashed dogs or failures to clean up to a ranger?
No, I didn't. But that has no bearing on the fact that irresponsible dog owners are generating a backlash that will come back to bite them and their mutts. It's not a problem only in national parks.
Perhaps we need RESPONSIBLE dog owners to step up and take action because when the backlash hits, they and their pets will be victimized.
When I lived in Central Idaho it was commonplace to hike dogs in the wilderness and national forest areas, and heck - that was the culture. I had a large malamute/husky/wolf hybrid that I trained as a little pup to be my hiking companion, and dang...we hiked everywhere together.
I estimate we hiked over a thousand some miles of backcountry just in the Idaho wilderness areas (some of which were near the border of yellowstone) over a six year period. He was great, and was my added eyes and ears in the wilderness, and he would always be about 25 yards ahead of me. Sometimes i'd let him roam a hundred yards or so when we were at camp but he would always stay near me, and I actually saw him as a protector, since his loyalty to me was better than any human companion I ever met, other than my wife. I have thousands of pictures and videos of him and I just hiking, and so I adamently think all of these people that are anti-dogs in the wilderness just haven't had a real experience with them. In places like the rockies, most of canada, alaska, etc I think certain breeds of dogs are a useful tool in wilderness exploration. My dog was a useful pack dog. He could pack 25 lbs of gear without issue, and was like having a mini-workhorse by my side. I think, without my dog, my current job working in a National Park making films would have never happened, since he helped pull some of the gear when I was building my portfolio.
As for him being the eyes and ears, there were times he alerted me to a bull moose, elk or some other creature along the trail, and so he would sense wildlife well before I knew it was around. When horses or people came, he would non-chalantly come back to me as i'd call him back. He was a well trained dog. I tried training another dog to be like him, but it never worked well, so I abandoned plans for him to be a hiking dog. So, I think it comes down to the dogs personality. Some dogs are absoultely meant to be out in the wilderness and other dogs are not fit for that sort of lifestyle. My dog was an omegga by nature, so he made for a great loyal hiking companion.
I have encountered misbehaved dogs before, don't get me wrong, but usually dogs like that don't last long in these sort of environments. No one in their right mind is going to keep hiking dogs that constantly do stupid things. But, once again I look back to my time in the Rockies - people and dogs in the wilderness is just a common occurrence, it's very much cultural, and things seem to be fine there.
Once I moved to a National Park area in the Appalachians, my days of hiking my dog like across the wilderness pretty much was stiffled due to the lack of BLM or USFS right next to my back yard. There were many times I thought it would have been great to have him along.... but I also understand the rules, and get that in certain areas, especially along heavily travelled trails, it also doesn't make as much sense to have a high density of dogs. Plus, too many people bring their little yippie dogs that aren't meant for the wilderness in places where they become more of a liability. But dogs that are bread to work outdoors I think are different and shouldn't be grouped with accessory lap dogs. Dogs like Labs, Huskies, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Austrailian Shepherds, and Collies are meant for the outdoors and they live for working and hiking in the outdoors. These are dogs you don't keep couped up in the house...they want to be outside and doing things like hiking.
As for his dog waste, since he was trained off leash, he was like a bear - he never went along the trail but would take a little jaunt up into the forest, or go off into the meadows or sage areas. No different than a cougar, bear, wolf, elk or countless other species of his size. The insects will break that down in a week.
Unfortunately I had plans to hike him across the AT of Shenandoah for one last hurrah since he was old, and I figured he had one good hike in him, but I had to put him down this summer because he became inflicted with terminal cancer.
If horses can use trails, I can't see why a pack dog is any different. It just comes down to the density of them, and in that case, the USFS, BLM, or NPS could issue permits.
Really nice post Gary. I have had two dogs, Lab, German S. mix. both I have had to put down, one 8 years ago, one two months ago. Had them at different times, both adopted. They were just wonderful trail dogs. As I live in an area bounded by three great National Forests, many many trails not used much as well as old logging roads, I did not take them to the Park, but over 15 years I had just nothing but great hikes with them. Would choose the lesser used areas,much in the off seasons. Like your dog, they just minded there own business, except the first one who liked to play with a coyote that lived in a forest meadow about 5 miles from my place. When they spotted each other, Jake would run out into the meadow and they would chase each other.