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Kidsgone's avatar
Kidsgone
Explorer
May 17, 2013

Dogs welcome in Yellowstone??

We have planned our trip to Yellowstone this summer. We will be staying just outside the park but we were wondering if dogs are allowed inside the park...like on trails? Never been there and looking forward to it, but want to do whats best for our "kids". They love to travel and sightsee too. Suggestions are always helpful. Any do's and don'ts?
Thanks in advance.
Andi

10 Replies

  • It's really not a dog friendly place. The NPS owns it and they just let you visit, if you follow their rules. I agree with all the dangers listed for your pup and others. Your pup isn't really going to have a great time there other than being with you.
  • We were at Yellowstone in July 2007. It was 76 degrees in the daytime, too hot to leave an animal in the car. We didn't have our dog with us, primarily because we were concerned about managing his needs. As I recall, you can't take them hiking on the trails, nor on the boardwalks. We saw animals in the campground and on the roads. I would not want to risk a dog vs. bison or bear encounter (we saw both, at close distance.) Most of the boardwalks are not fenced, so it would be very easy for a dog to take a flying leap into a thermal. Even worse, if a child or elderly person was to be suddenly scared or tripped by a dog *they* could take that flying leap into a thermal. Think it can't happen? Read "Death in Yellowstone".

    Yes, you could take your dog to Yellowstone. I wouldn't.
  • Also - Yellowstone's elevation tends to keep things coolish. We had no problem finding shady spot to park and car and leave the dogs (to go eat, for example).
  • Thanks for all the replies and the link. Guess they will stay back in the rig and catch some zzz's on the couch or catch up on a TV program or two. Nice thing about Labs, ultimate couch potato or great taking anywhere.
    Thanks again.
  • Yellowstone is a VERY pet friendly park. They take extraordinary steps to assure your pets will be safe while visiting there. Dogs may be walked on a leash in any campground, parking lot or on the roadway but are NOT allowed in the back country or on the side walks at attractions MUCH more their their safety than the safety of the wildlife.
  • Just a quick bit of info....while Yellowstone in general is not Pet friendly, you can bring them down to Old Faithful, they have a big open dirt area behind the broadwalk...I always keep mine off the Broadwalk but Ive seen plenty of others sitting with their dogs watching the geyser errupt.
  • Yellowstone is not a pet-friendly park because of both the wildlife and the unstable ground. In the thermal areas, you must stay on the trail, because off it you risk falling through a thin crust into a pot of boiling acid, not a good way to die. You also can't let your dogs encounter and possibly tangle sith the native critters, some of which will eat said dogs for lunch (no feeding the wildlife) and some of which you dogs will try to eat for lunch. So you can't let your dogs off leash anywhere. You also can't take the on any trails -- for both those reasons plus they will attract wildlife you don't really want to encounter, grizzlys and wolves and mountain lions.
  • dogs are not allowed on trails. you can walk them in the campgrounds and parking lots. if you take them with you while sightseeing, it will get pretty hot in the car, so don't plan on being away from the car more than a few minutes...unless it's a nice, cloudy, rainy day.