Did you know that Acadia is one of the most dog friendly national parks in the United States?
If you’ve traveled to many National Parks with your fur-children, you know that in general, they are not very dog-friendly. Most have a few trails within park boundaries that are dog-friendly, while others have none at all. Of course, service dogs are the exception and all National Parks allow service animals on all trails. They just highly recommend that you check with a park ranger before hiking certain trails.
So, why are National Parks in general not dog-friendly? While it sucks, it is for good reason! It’s for the protection of both your pets and the wild animals that live within park boundaries. Parks like Great Smoky Mountains have a few trails within park boundaries that are dog-friendly, read more on that here. It’s because of the massive black bear population in that region.
While National Parks such as Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Theodore Roosevelt allow dogs in campground and lookout stops but not in buildings or on any trails. All of these parks have abundant wildlife such as elk, bear, moose, bison, and wolves. A run-in with any of these animals, while you have a pup with you, could prove deadly. And no one wants that.
The good news is several National Parks are considered to be pet-friendly! Of course, Acadia is pet-friendly but there are others that I am dying to take the boys to visit! These include:
Grand Canyon, while not all trials are dogs friendly here, anything above the rim is fair game! This includes all 13 miles of the popular South Rim Trail (this is one of my dream trips with the boys).
Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio was only established in 2000 and boasts 110 miles of hiking trails and 20 of the Towpath Trail in the park where pets are permitted.
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia features 500 miles of trails and only 20 of those miles are off limits to your pups. Although it’s a bummer that some of the more famous trails are on this list there are still plenty of places for you to explore with your 4-legg’d friends.
Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky allows pets on its 70 miles of trails but not in caves or at its lodges.
Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas is also very pet-friendly as pets are welcomed on all trails within the park!
Great Sand Dunes in Colorado is another dog-friendly National Park. Here dogs are permitted in all of the main use areas of the park but not in the backcountry. Keep those sand temperatures in mind!
Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona where leashed dogs are welcomes on all trails!
Acadia is incredibly pet-friendly but there are, of course, rules. According to NPS, dogs should be kept on a leash (max 6 ft) at all times, they should not be left unattended, and you need to clean up after them. Not too much to ask! In my opinion, these are all things that good pet owners know/do anyway (minus the leash and we are guilty of this as well). Acadia boasts an incredible 100 miles of hiking trails and 45 miles of carriage roads that you can enjoy with your pup(s)!
There are some exceptions, and these include most of the water in the park. You see, most lakes in the park are public water supplies and no swimming is allowed this included both pets and people. Both Sand Beach and Echo Lake are pet-friendly if you go at the right time of year. The exception is during peak seasons for Sand Beach that’s June 15-Sept 8 and for Echo Lake, that’s May 15-Sept 15.
There are also several trails where pets are not permitted including Precipice, Bee Hive, Ladder Trail to Dorr Mountain, Beech Cliffs Trail, Perpendicular Trail, Jordan Cliffs Trail between Penobscot East Trail and the carriage road.
Acadia also offers the Bark Ranger program. You may be thinking, what in the world is a Bark Ranger? Well, the program teaches dog owners about the importance of following the Rules of B.A.R.K. while visiting Acadia. Dogs completing the short program can be sworn in as Bark Rangers and their owners will be eligible to purchase a special Bark Ranger collar tag at the Eastern National Bookstore at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center. Find out more here.
Bark stands for
B = Bag Your Poop
A = Always Wear a Leash
R = Respect Wildlife
K = Know Where To Go
This initiative is important because Acadia is ranked among one of the most dog-friendly National Parks in the US and everyone wants to keep it that way!! I know I do!
Things to keep in mind if taking a pet (or pets the campground max is 4 dogs per campsite) with you to Acadia National Park:
- Ticks are prevalent and are the worst during spring and fall. Mosquitos are also horrible in the summer so make sure to bring pet-friendly bug spray and tick repellent. And treat your dogs for heartworm, yes, they get heartworm from mosquitos (I had no idea).
- Make sure to bring plenty of water with you if you are hiking on trails. Particularly longer trails. The boys always get insanely thirsty when they are hiking.
- Bring treats or a snack for the pups if the trails are long.
- Keep your dogs at a respectful distance from wildlife including turtles and birds.
- Never leave your dog unattended inside the park.
- Make sure to bring poop bags and clean up after your dog. You would think this would be a given, but I can’t tell you how many times we’ve come across poop on trails! Trust me, I know it sucks sometimes, the boys leave some bombs behind but we always carry those smelly bags until we find a trashcan.
- It’s never a bad idea to have a dog first aid kit with you. We use this one. (just sharing info – not getting anything from sharing this link).
- Make sure you allow time for your pups to take a break. Hiking with dogs may slow you down a bit at first but it’s worth it to share that time with them!
