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May 19, 2025

Paws on the Trail: The Best Dog-Friendly Hikes in the Great Smoky Mountains

Planning a trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park with your furry friend? While many trails restrict dogs, the Smokies still offer several dog-friendly hikes and scenic drives perfect for adventurous pups and their humans. From easy riverside walks on the Oconaluftee River Trail to scenic drives like Cades Cove Loop Road and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, this guide covers the best pet-friendly trails and outdoor experiences to help you explore the Smokies together. Discover insider tips, local spots, and must-visit places to make your Smoky Mountains dog adventure unforgettable!

November 2, 2021

The Eerie Ghost Town In The Smokies

In the lush valley, where Jake’s Creek and the Little River meet, you can find the magical Daisy Town…

July 27, 2021

11 Must See Waterfalls In The Smokies

Looking for a waterfall hike in the Smokies? Check out these 11 Must See Waterfalls In Great Smoky Mountains…

July 20, 2021

Cades Cove: The Ultimate Guide to the Smokies’ Most Popular Valley

14 Fun Thing To Do In Cades Cove! Including to where to stay, where to eat, and what to do on your visit to Cades Cove…

May 11, 2021

Roaring Forks: 11 Reasons To Visit

There are so many reasons to visit Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail on your next trip to the Smokies…

April 6, 2021

Is Great Smoky Mountains National Park Dog Friendly?

Find out if Great Smoky Mountains is dog friendly and 12 fun things to do with your pups near the park…

Hi! I'm Vanessa, a 30 something, sunset chasing traveler. I'm here to inspire you to travel wherever, whenever, and with whoever you can. My Huskies, Loki and Freya are usually along for the ride. I have a soul that likes to wander, a desire to experience the unknown, and a curiousity to discover things off the beaten path. I hope you'll stick around for awhile!

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It’s the most hauntingly beautiful thing in the Ro It’s the most hauntingly beautiful thing in the Rockies and it’s happening right now.

Everyone goes to Moraine Park for rut, and it’s great, and there are 300 cars. This was the top of Trail Ridge Road, above treeline, one bull, his harem, and us.

For about a month every fall, the bulls barely eat or sleep and lose up to a fifth of their body weight holding their cows together and warning off every other bull in earshot. The sound carries for miles.

If you go: Trail Ridge Road closes for the season in mid-to-late October, so the rut window up top is short. 

In Yellowstone, head to Mammoth Village to see the elk (I’m hoping to get back this fall) 

And in Grand Teton, just keeps your eyes open 👁️

🚫 Stay a 75 feet minimum. This is the one month they’re looking for a fight.

✨Save this for your trip to the Rockies from mid-September to early October ✨
105 miles of overlooks on Skyline Drive…gorgeous i 105 miles of overlooks on Skyline Drive…gorgeous in fall! 🍁🍂🍁

I made a joke in a post during National Park week that Shenandoah was really just a great scenic drive. While I WAS joking, I would see the same thing year after year. Every October it’s the same: pull in, take the photo, pull out, repeat. 

What you’re driving past is over 500 miles of trail, and your dog is allowed on all but about 20 of them. After Acadia, it’s got some of the best dog-trail access on the East Coast.

The catch: the two trails you’ve heard of, Dark Hollow Falls and Stony Man, are on the short no-dogs list. So skip them. 

Rose River gets you a waterfall in under four miles, Hawksbill gets you the highest point in the park in 1.5, and both take the dog.

I lived an hour from this park for 5 years, and I’m telling you, while it’s totally ok if you only drive the Skyline Drive, you’re missing out in some of the true beauty of Shenandoah if you don’t take a short hike. 

Peak on the Drive usually runs mid-to-late October, north end first. Go on a weekday. Bring the dog 👌🏻

🍁🍂 Save this for your fall Shenandoah trip 🍂🍁
Last summer, someone visiting for a few days would Last summer, someone visiting for a few days would find out we were on the island for the season and ask the same thing: if I only have time for one trail, which one?

6 months. Same answer every time. And it’s probably not the one you would think. Here’s the thing, Acadia’s most popular trails are phenomenal, and I kind of understand why every single list you see has the same 5 hikes, BUT, personally I don’t like waiting in a line to hike. 

So my answer: 

⛴️⚓️ Ship Harbor - It’s on the quiet side past Southwest Harbor, a 1.3-mile (so perfect for every age and fitness level) figure-eight that starts in spruce forest and opens onto pink granite, tide pools, and the actual Atlantic. No scramble, no reservation, no iron rungs. Flat enough that everyone in your group can do it. Dogs on leash are welcome. Go at low tide if you can swing it, because the tide pools are 👌🏻

✨ Save this for your Acadia trip ✨
Hi, I’m Vanessa. I turned 40 this year (Millennial Hi, I’m Vanessa. I turned 40 this year (Millennial 90’s kid here), I have 3 dogs, and I live in a 40-foot travel trailer named Betty with a man I met in the woods in 2022.

We’ve been full-time on the road since 2023, Idaho is technically home base at the moment, and I’ve been to 22 of the 63 national parks with 41 to go.

What you get here: honest park guides, dog-friendly trails that are actually dog friendly. No hidden gems that turn out to be closed on Tuesdays. No telling you to quit your job.

Mostly I just want you to have a better trip than the one you’d have without me.

Glad you’re here 💚

Tell me where you’re headed next, I probably have opinions 😉
Most people plan Acadia and Bar Harbor in the fall Most people plan Acadia and Bar Harbor in the fall off a blog post written by someone who visited once in July. I know I did on my first trip to the park in fall. 

BUT last year, I stayed on Mount Desert Island for 6 months and watched the whole season happen. The guide is what I’d hand a friend: when the leaves actually turn, (or are predicted to, what’s open and what’s closed after peak foliage, the trails and drives worth doing in October and the ones to skip, where to take the dogs once summer rules lift! 

Not on the blog. Not anywhere else. Acadia & Bar Harbor In Fall the 16 page guide written by someone who has both visited in fall and lived there in fall 🍁🧡🍁

Comment FALL and I’ll send you the link.
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