Bring your Dog?

Do you want to bring your dog?  Before you decide, consider the facts of wilderness life that face town dogs who visit our mountains, and the pet rules you'll encounter in Rocky Mountain National Park.  More...

Many pet-friendly accommodations welcome you and your dog, and the following pet services businesses are here to take care of any pet needs while you're away from home:

Estes Park has a fenced dog park where you can exercise your canine companion. Otherwise, plan to stay connected with your dog via a leash. There are new and wonderful scents that may cause your perfectly behaved town dog to bolt into the forest unexpectedly. The call of the wild may overpower your call to your pet to come back. Dogs caught chasing wildlife may be shot by the wildlife officer as predators.

You can hike with your leashed dog in Roosevelt National Forest but dogs are not allowed on the Rocky Mountain National Park trails. Shady parking spots are non-existent in the summer so your Park visits may be limited to developed picnic areas or parking spots.

Most lodging properties will not allow dogs to stay alone in your accommodations so they will go with you everywhere or board at a local kennel.

On walks, human companions are needed to help their visiting canines handle encounters with the residents. Deer, elk, bighorn sheep, marmots, chipmunks, racoons and squirrels may consider them to be strange, unwelcome intruders; mountain lion, bear and coyote may see them as a tasty meal.

If your canine companion is a full-fledged family member, these issues won't be a problem and you will have a lovely time. Together you can all go hiking in the National Forest, window shopping in town, picnicing in the Park and driving along scenic byways.