Hiking with dogs is an experience in itself; it is an amazing way to explore new corners of the world. Especially, if you want to take a break from the crowds, choosing a dog friendly hiking trail should be your way out.
For those of you who are wondering what experience your dog can add to your hiking, dogs are perfect hiking partners. It is a match made in heaven as they make it safe, stress-free and fun-filled. It also helps in deepening the bond between you two – learning from shared experiences as they say.
While all this is undoubtedly true, hiking can be sometime strenuous – both for you and your dog. Therefore always do some research before selecting your hiking trail. Ensure you look for the below factors while choosing your dog friendly hiking trail:
- Elevation gain
- Length and width of the trail
- Access to water
- Leash laws
- Trail surface and difficulty level
- Shade and sunlight
Always start by deciding the length of the trail. Understand how far you and your companion can hike comfortably and then take into consideration the elevation gain of the trail. This involves getting an idea of the total amount of climbing and difficulty levels of the total distance you are planning to trek. Know the fact that the trails that have too much of elevation gain or steep stretches might not be a good fit for you as well as your pet. If the steep grades are more, there could be chances that you and/or your dog have to look for alternatives in terms of terrains that are less steep. But then these might mean going through rocks, broken fragments and so on. All this could be real challenging hence it is utmost important to know your trail well beforehand. For your research, you can look out for information on various websites such as trailplace.com that talk about family friendly hikes, pet friendly hikes and so on. They also share good tips on hiking for beginners.
Next thing you should be interested in is researching about water availability and shade, especially if you are hiking in summers. Since dogs are more sensitive to heat as compared to human beings, think in that aspect. It shouldn’t cause dehydration due to overheating.
Last, but not the least, do not forget to check the leash laws of the trail. Some of the trails require the dogs to be leashed as there could be areas that are dangerous for your pets. However, you can always look for trails that let your dog roam off-leash but even then never let them go off site.
Now that we know about the strategy and things to look for while looking for that perfect dog friendly trail, let us take a look at some of the good examples for such treks.
- The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is a perfect dog friendly trail. However, it recommends keeping your dog on leash when hiking on trails above the rim of the South Rim.
- Banff national park in Alberta, Canada, is another good option where you can take your dog, though on a leash.
- Slide Rock State Park in Oak Canyan near Sedona, Arizona is another amazing dog friendly trail.
- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Tennessee welcomes leashed dogs.
There are hundreds of popular parks that offer this option so based on your destination and preferences, go find the perfect spot for you and the wagging tail.
