The Most Dog-Friendly Vacations in the United States
For some travelers, a family vacation isn’t complete without the the family pet, making dog-friendly vacations the main priority. Whether traveling via road trip or plane, vacationing with furry family members can be fun for the whole gang, as long as precautions and preparations are taken. For some, the idea of leaving their dog home with a sitter or boarder can hinder the enjoyment of vacation, thus necessitating the need for a dog-friendly destination, complete with dog-friendly hotels (or Airbnbs), dog-friendly restaurants, and maybe even a dog-friendly beach or two.
Not every vacation is perfect for your pooch, though. When mapping out dog-friendly vacations, there are important factors to consider, to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of your dog—and that of the rest of the family, of course. One of the main things is weather and season. Is the journey (be it by plane, train, or automobile) likely to be prone to cancellations? Will the forecast at your destination restrict your dog to indoor solitude? When planning a dog-friendly trip, that means including your pup in those plans and ensuring they’re able to partake in activities, be welcome in hotels, and be allowed to travel with you—because certain breeds may not be allowed to fly at all, many airlines limit the number of pups onboard, and some hotels either charge exorbitant pet fees, limit specific breeds or sizes, or prohibit them entirely. Fortunately, there are plenty of dog-friendly vacation spots across the U.S., offering a wide range in geography, travel style, and activities for the whole family—canines included. From a coastal national park community to a Midwestern woodland retreat, here are 11 of the most dog-friendly vacation spots in the country.
All listings featured in this story are independently selected by our editors. However, when you book something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Benjamin Sullivan/GettyBlack Hills, South Dakota
Home to quintessential American destinations like Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park, the Black Hills of South Dakota have “family fun” etched all over them. Rapid City is the urban hub, home to the historic pet-friendly Hotel Alex Johnson. It’s allegedly haunted, but as one of the more ornate dog-friendly abodes in town, with a pampered pooch package that includes a dog bed and biscuits, it’s worth the spooks. There are numerous dog-friendly patios in town, including Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews and diner-style Tally’s Silver Spoon, and local attraction Reptile Gardens allows pups inside to marvel at the snakes, frogs, and botanical gardens. In the Black Hills, dogs are allowed on many hiking trails, including the trek up Black Elk Peak, the highest point in South Dakota, and those around Sylvan Lake, conveniently culminating with an overnight in a dog-friendly cabin at Sylvan Lake Lodge. While dogs aren’t allowed inside Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Blackberry Trail across the road offers great views and a descent into the fragrant pine-filled forest, while Crazy Horse Memorial allows dogs outside and on leashes.
Josh Hild/GettySnowmass, Colorado
Dogs are just as welcome to bask in Colorado mountain towns as humans, but rather than visit a comparatively busier—and more expensive—town like Aspen or Vail, the pastoral paradise of Snowmass offers upscale amenities, cozy ambience, and pet-friendly fare in a more modest setting. The Limelight Hotel offers spacious dog-friendly rooms in a part of town that’s close enough to main Snowmass Village, without being in the thick of the crowds. The hotel offers free water bowls, treats, and pet mats upon check-in, and most nearby trails are dog-friendly, including the Brush Creek Trail, a paved route that starts at the Snowmass Mall. For more elevation, dogs are allowed on certain gondolas from the Snowmass Ski Area, leading to more tranquil hikes and lakeside picnic opportunities up-mountain. In need of more treats and toys? Stock up at GuapoDog Pet Supply in the Snowmass Mall, and dine outside at Venga Venga, a dog-friendly Mexican cantina serving up everything from bacon guacamole to steak fajitas.
Davel Morgan/GettyTucson, Arizona
Rolling into Tucson with pup in tow, the best place to hunker down is Hotel McCoy, an artist-inspired retrofitted motel that greets guests with a rainbow mural proclaiming “Tucson Is Magic.” The colorful, inclusive desert oasis features an outdoor pet area towards the front of the property, and welcomes up to two dogs at no extra charge. Located on the west side of town, the accommodations also put you close to the majestic Saguaro National Park, where dogs are welcome on roadways, picnic areas, and paved trails, like the Desert Discovery Trail. Dogs can also visit the Tucson Botanical Gardens and the Pima Air & Space Museum, along with breweries, bars, and restaurants like Borderlands Brewing Co. and the patio at Boca Tacos y Tequila, a Top Chef-driven hot spot slinging mole de pollo tacos, ancho butter-rubbed octopus, and banh mi quesadillas. The MSA Annex, an outdoor mercado on the west side spotlighting POC- and women-owned businesses, offers ample dog-friendly seating and takeout spots for places like plant-based Beaut Burger, sushi-slinging Kukai, and Westbound cocktail bar for al fresco margaritas.
Walter Bibikow/GettyAsheville, North Carolina
Filled with mountains, trails, and brewery patios, Asheville is like Disney World for outdoorsy dogs. The city is so accommodating that dogs are allowed just about everywhere, from the grounds around Biltmore Estate to the riverside trails at Chimney Rock State Park. Restaurants like Twisted Laurel are so dog-friendly that they offer a dedicated menu for dogs, while Woof Gang Bakery is a mecca for treats and trinkets. Famed for its breweries, Asheville beer spots that allow patio pups include Wicked Weed Brewing, Wedge Brewing Co., and the sprawling lawn at New Belgium Brewery, while places like Urban Orchard and Burial Beer Co. also allow dogs indoors. For lodging, the Aloft hotel doesn’t just allow dogs, they feature an adoptable dog program, wherein rescued pups clad in “Adopt Me” vests greet guests in the lobby.
Michael WarrenPensacola, Florida
It’s the dog days of summer all year long in Pensacola, an underrated pup-friendly Florida city in the panhandle, home to myriad pet shops, dog-friendly restaurants, hotels, and outdoor recreation for miles. Dogs are welcome on trails, park roads, and multi-use paths at Gulf Islands National Seashore, along with Big Lagoon State Park and Pensacola Scenic Bay Bluffs Preserve, while Bayview Park is a good spot for dogs to frolic in the sand and splash in the water. To get even further out on the water, introduce your pups to dolphins on a dog-friendly tour with Jolly Sailing & Dolphin Cruise. Dog-friendly restaurants are all over town, from the famed Flora-Bama Yacht Club to Red Fish Blue Fish on Pensacola Beach. The Oar House is another fun spot offering fresh seafood and tiki cocktails on Bahia Mar Marina. Dog-friendly abodes run the gamut from Pensacola Beach RV Resort, an affordable campground where customers can BYO RV or rent a trailer suite, to the retro-chic Surf & Sand Hotel, a bayside property where dogs are welcome in first-floor rooms.
Justin Shen/UnsplashPortland, Oregon
Teeming with parks, patios, breweries, and hip hotels, Portland is as much a playground for dogs as it is eccentric humans. Off-leash dog parks include Delta Park, Gabriel Park, and Brentwood Park, and dog-friendly trails can be found all over, like Tryon Creek State Natural Area, offering eight miles worth of shaded pathways a stone’s throw from downtown. Bars, breweries, and restaurants throughout the city welcome pups, including vegetarian comfort nook Bye & Bye, the pretty picnic table-filled patio at Victoria Bar, all-day Elevator Cafe, and White Owl Social Club, where dogs are welcome inside through a dedicated side entrance, or on the patio with beer pong and a fire pit. Then there’s the aptly dubbed Lucky Labrador Brewing Company, which is so dog-friendly that they host Dogtoberfest every September. Dog-friendly hotels are just as prolific, with options like the hip Ace Hotel, which doesn’t have any fees or breed restrictions, and the Dossier, with pet beds, bowls, and treats at check-in, plus pet-centric books that owners are free to borrow.
GettyTexas Hill Country
With its wide open spaces, vast farmland, rolling hills, meandering trails, and breweries the size of the Mall of America, Texas Hill Country is a lush haven for dog-friendly vacationers. Located just outside of Austin (an exceedingly dog-welcoming city in and of itself), Hill Country is home to “Barking Springs” dog park by Barton Springs and pup-friendly patios like Beerburg Brewing. The area boasts leisurely hikes at Pedernales Falls State Park and dog-friendly canoe rentals at South Llano River State Park, plus a sea of wineries, distilleries, and breweries where dogs are welcome on enormous patios, like Chisholm Trail Winery, Treaty Oak Distilling with its folksy music stage and on-site barbecue restaurant, and Jester King Brewery, an enormous brewery and farm-fresh kitchen that’s so entrenched in nature it has hiking trails through the woods. In Fredericksburg, Dogologie Haus is an inn that puts pups first, offering dog beds, bowls, treats, indoor crates, and an outdoor kennel. Back in Austin, Lone Star Court is a Hill Country-inspired hotel that offers a “Pawsitively Pet Package,” including welcome treats, snack credits, late checkout, and retro-inspired accommodations.
Eric Meola/GettySanta Fe, New Mexico
Artists aren’t the only ones mystified by the splendors of Santa Fe, one of the most historic, captivating cities in the nation. Dogs are sure to be just as dazzled by its magnetic beauty, with ample outdoorsy locales to explore, restaurant patios to peruse, and lodging that’s just as comfy for humans and pups. As dog-friendly as Santa Fe, the thing to be mindful of is elevation—at about 7,000 feet, it’s also the highest capital city in the country, meaning you and your dog will need to acclimate to the altitude, especially on hikes and trails. This also means winter days can be quite cold, but the almost-endless sunshine should make up for it. Some areas to explore include the downtown Plaza, an area so pet-friendly that it’s adjacent to the ornate Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Although the inside cathedral isn’t open to dogs, the La Fonda on the Plaza hotel nearby is, offering pet treats upon check-in, along with dog-friendly restaurants La Fiesta Lounge and La Plazuela. Other accommodating restaurants include burger-slinging Shake Foundation with its sprawling patio, and Cafecito, a trail-adjacent eatery where your dog can guilt you into sharing bites of your empanada. Numerous dog-friendly hiking trails in and around the city include Atalaya Mountain in Santa Fe National Forest, the leisurely Santa Fe Rail Trail that traipses off into the serene desert, and the paved River Trail that meanders along the small Santa Fe River for miles, with parks, benches, and picnic tables along the way. In the famed Canyon Road gallery district, many outdoor galleries, like Canyon Road Contemporary Art, allow dogs.
Ian Dooley/UnsplashOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Wildly underrated as a vacation destination, there’s much more to do and see in Oklahoma City than Twister screenings. A low-key cultural mecca, it’s got industrial-chic digs like the 21c Museum Hotel, an art museum-hotel hybrid with lofty dog-friendly rooms (pet fees have been waived for the rest of 2022), and The National, a new downtown high-rise hotel that allows two dogs per guest. Pups are welcome at restaurants throughout the city, like Picasso Cafe, an artsy and vegan-friendly restaurant that offers a “Bone Appétit” menu for dogs, including chicken risotto and ground beef stew. The quirky Pump Bar down the street has a huge pet-friendly patio, Angry Scotsman Brewing allows dogs both indoors and on its enormous skyline-viewing patio, and Aurora is a stylish brunch spot in the Plaza District where dogs are welcome on the cute back patio while you chow down on salted caramel cinnamon rolls and pulled pork hash. Beyond patios, there are plenty of places to explore in Oklahoma City, from downtown’s whimsical Scissortail Park (which just doubled in size with the opening of a lower half) to Lake Hefner, a massive park that features a nine-mile paved trail around the perimeter.
James Brey/GettyOconto County, Wisconsin
A few hours north of Milwaukee lies a swath of foliage-filled forests, rolling hills, ranches, cozy log cabins, and pristine ponds strewn with swans. The quiet enclave of Oconto County, anchored by towns like Mountain and Lakewood, is the ultimate Midwestern retreat—for humans and dogs alike. For all-natural serenity and quaint Americana charm, the region offers comfy confines all year long, with nearly 1,000 miles worth of trails for hikers, horses, ATVs, and yes, dogs. Nicolet National Forest contains many of said miles, including the flat, shaded Nicolet State Trail between Mountain and Lakewood, and the 4-mile loop around Black Lake. The community of Mountain is a particularly bucolic place to cozy up, especially when staying in a dog-friendly cabin at Spur of the Moment Ranch. The homey, family-run ranch offers horse carriage rides, campfires, and ATV and snowmobile trail access, along with plenty of space where dogs can frolic off-leash. For a home-away-from-home vibe, stock up on pet treats and things to cook—including the all-important cheese curds—from Mike’s Supermarket in Townsend, or dine at dog-friendly Mulligans Sports Bar & Grill, with a huge patio, live music, and a true-blue Wisconsin fish fry on Fridays.
Tony Shieh/GettyAcadia National Park and Bar Harbor, Maine
National parks are among the most spectacular destinations to vacation with pups. Compared to big cities, they’re typically less crowded and expensive, ensuring a more stress-free experience for dogs in unfamiliar environments (and less fees for you), with plenty of room to prance around. Many national parks, however, restrict dogs to a few specific trails, if any, or certain areas only during quieter times of year. But Acadia National Park is one of the most dog-friendly parks in the country, with 100 miles of hiking trails open to dogs, as long as they’re leashed at all times. The flat Jordan Pond Path, a 3-mile loop around a shimmering lake, is a particular standout, as is the out-and-back Ocean Path Trail that begins at Sand Beach, where dogs are allowed during the off-season (mid-September to June). There’s also a Bark Ranger program that teaches owners about the Rules of B.A.R.K. (Bag your pet’s waste, Always leash your pet, Respect wildlife, Know where to go) and rewards dogs with special Bark Ranger collar tags. In the gateway town of Bar Harbor, you’ll find dog-friendly eateries, like Beal’s Lobster Pier, Peekytoe Provisions, and Side Street Cafe for all your lobster roll and haddock Reuben needs, while pet-friendly lodging runs the gamut from the casual, like Belle Isle Motel with its six acres of field space for your pup to explore, to the luxe, like Balance Rock Inn, where they’re welcome around the outdoor common grounds.